A summary of some of the top stories coming out of Germany’s biopharma industry, including Bayer’s EMA win for its Eylea eye therapy; the oncology deal Merck KGaA has cut with SpringWorks Therapeutics; the bispecific antibody alliance between BMS and BioNTech, and Sartorius’ acquisition of microtissue firm MatTek.

 

Bayer wins EU watchdog’s endorsement for longer Eylea treatment intervals (Reuters)

German drugmaker Bayer on Friday won an endorsement by the European Medicines Agency to extend the intervals between shots of its anti-blindness treatment Eylea, giving it a potential edge over Roche’s rival treatment Vabysmo.
Bayer said in a statement the European Medicines Agency recommended that eye drug Eylea, at a high dose of 8 mg, can be injected at intervals of up to six months to treat wet age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular oedema.

Germany’s Merck drops China surcharge on orders after US-China tariff deal (Reuters)

German healthcare and materials group Merck KGaA has dropped a surcharge on life sciences sector orders within China following the U.S.-China agreement to pause sky-high tariffs on each other, the company said Wednesday.
The agreement, announced on Monday, will see U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods fall to 30% from 145% for 90 days, while China will reduce tariffs on U.S. products to 10% from 125%.

 

Merck KGaA cites Trump tariffs, funding cuts as it scales back 2025 contracting forecast (Fierce Pharma)

As has been the case for several quarters now, Merck KGaA’s life science business continues to serve as a weathervane for the broader biopharma industry.

For the full year, Merck now expects sales from its life science arm—which provides R&D and CDMO services plus key materials for partners—to land between 8.8 billion euros and 9.4 billion euros.

 

Merck KGaA strikes $3.9bn deal for SpringWorks (Pharmaceutical Technology)

Merck KGaA (Merck) has moved to strengthen its position in oncology and rare diseases with a $3.9bn agreement to acquire SpringWorks Therapeutics.
Under the deal, Merck will pay $47 per share in cash, representing a 26% premium to SpringWorks’ average share price over the 20 days leading up to 7 February 2025, the day before media reports of the potential acquisition surfaced.

 

FDA Grants Interchangeable Designation to Fresenius Kabi’s biosimilar Otulfi (Business Wire)

Fresenius Kabi, an operating company of Fresenius, and Formycon AG, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designated Otulfi® (ustekinumab-aauz) as an interchangeable biosimilar to the reference product Stelara® (ustekinumab).

Depending on state pharmacy laws in the U.S., an interchangeable biosimilar can be dispensed at the pharmacy as a substitute for the reference product without requiring direct approval from the prescribing healthcare provider. Not all biosimilars receive interchangeability status.

 

Bristol Myers allies with BioNTech on bispecific cancer drug (Biopharma Dive)

Bristol Myers Squibb is making sure it won’t miss out on a new type of cancer immunotherapy that’s drawn immense industry interest, announcing Monday an alliance with BioNTech on a bispecific antibody the German biotechnology company is developing.

Dubbed BNT327, the antibody drug takes aim at two proteins — PD-L1 and VEGF — that are among the most important cancer drug targets of the past two decades. Medicines that take aim at one or the other have been some of the best-selling pharmaceutical products over that time.

 

Grünenthal goes for Cialis in latest targeted acquisition (The Pharma Letter)

Privately-held German drugmaker Grünenthal has acquired commercial rights to erectile dysfunction drug Cialis (tadalafil) in Mexico, Brazil and Colombia from US pharma major Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY).

Over the next few years, the companies will work together to transfer the manufacturing to Grünenthal’s production site in Santiago, Chile, that will supply Cialis for the three countries moving forward.

 

FDA approves injectable antibiotics for B Braun drug delivery system (Pharmaceutical Technology)

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the injectable antibiotics Piperacillin and Tazobactam for use in B Braun Medical’s Duplex drug delivery system.

The drug delivery system is a ready-to-activate container that separates pre-measured medication and diluent until activation by the provider during treatment.

 

Sartorius buys MatTek from BICO Group in $80m deal (BioProcess International)

Biotechnology supplier Sartorius will acquire microtissue firm MatTek Corp for $80 million from BICO Group. MatTek is headquartered in Ashland, Massachusetts and has its production site in Bratislava, Slovakia. The company generated more than $20 million in 2024 sales. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions including regulatory approval and is expected to close during the second quarter of 2025.

MatTek has a portfolio of microtissues and primary cells designed to accelerate drug development. The company’s three-dimensional tissue models mimic human tissue architecture and function. Sartorius stated that when compared with traditional 2D cultures, 3D cell models provide more accurate, cost-efficient, and reproducible results while reducing animal testing during drug development.

Boehringer Ingelheim leans on late-stage pipeline, plots 25 new launches over the next decade (Fierce Pharma)

Boehringer Ingelheim’s 2023 was largely marked by the highly anticipated launch of its Cyltezo, the first interchangeable biosimilar to AbbVie’s Humira. But with sales disappointing, the company is now turning its attention to a deep late-stage pipeline that could bring 25 new treatments to market through 2030.

Alongside that ambitious goal, Boehringer plans to kick off 10 new phase 2 and 3 trials in the next 12-18 months, it said in its full-year earnings release.