Samsung Biologics revealed on July 20 that it plans to acquire Swiss peptide drugmaker PolyPeptide Group AG through an all-cash tender offer valued at approximately 1.46 billion Swiss francs (around US$1.8 billion) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The offer price is 44.31 Swiss francs per share, representing a roughly 6.1% premium over PolyPeptide’s last closing price of 41.75 Swiss francs [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
PolyPeptide’s board has unanimously recommended shareholders accept the offer. Chairman Peter Wilden said, "After a comprehensive review of strategic options, the Board is convinced that Samsung Biologics' offer is compelling for our shareholders, delivering an attractive cash price and immediate, certain value today" [4]. The company’s largest shareholder, Draupnir Holding, which owns about 55.65% of shares, supports the deal and will tender all its shares [1].
Samsung Biologics plans to launch the tender offer by the end of August and expects the transaction to close by year-end 2026 [1, 2, 4, 5]. After completion, PolyPeptide will be delisted from the SIX Swiss Exchange and become a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Biologics [1, 2, 4].
PolyPeptide operates and conducts research and development across Sweden, Belgium, France, the U.S., and India [4]. The acquisition expands Samsung Biologics’ footprint in peptide-based therapeutics, including GLP-1 drugs used to treat obesity and diabetes. Samsung Biologics said the deal will broaden its offerings and strengthen its multimodal contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) platform [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
This transaction is the largest biopharmaceutical merger and acquisition in South Korean history [2, 4, 5].
