Most of the therapies discussed in this article belong to the rapidly growing class of biologics - drugs derived from living organisms rather than chemically synthesized like traditional small molecules. Their rise has fundamentally reshaped the life sciences services ecosystem, from manufacturing to logistics.
In a conversation with Jim Lassiter, General Manager of ThermoSafe, we learned how the company’s temperature-controlled packaging solutions became critical during the mRNA vaccine rollout. ‘The pandemic underscored the need for robust solutions to maintain extreme temperature requirements and stability in biologics,’ he notes. Lassiter emphasizes how deeply the industry’s needs have evolved: ‘Over the past decade, about 95% of ThermoSafe's products have transitioned to bespoke designs, reflecting the industry’s shift towards personalized medicine. Customers now require solutions that address not just temperature and time but also specific payload and delivery needs, signaling how rapidly medicine and science are advancing.’
The growing intricacy of advanced therapies is driving consolidation among service providers. Siegfried, a global CDMO, exemplifies this trend through recent acquisitions. Siegfried’s new CEO, Marcel Imwinkelried, speaks of his company’s expansion across multiple fronts: ‘A key milestone on this journey was the acquisition of a biotechnology company focused on the development and manufacturing of AAV and Lentiviruses for cell and gene therapies, which positioned us to enter the personalized medicine space.’ Siegfried is also building a new R&D facility and growing its presence in the U.S. to meet rising demand.
In recognition of the greater weight of small and mid-sized companies in the advanced therapies space, companies like Siegfried are investing in early-phase development capabilities. As biotechs are particularly short in capital in the earlier stages of their pipeline development, they tend to rely on CDMOs with flexible, early-phase expertise to de-risk manufacturing, accelerate timelines, and conserve resources for core R&D.
Pharmaceutics International, Inc (Pii), a mid-sized CDMO that takes pride in its early-phase to commercialization capabilities, is another illustration of the aforementioned consolidation trend. The company was acquired in 2025 by Jabil. The now-famous new subset of biologics, GLP-1 inhibitors, are driving much of the M&As in the service providers’ industry. ‘We are already a major player in the auto-injector space, with our devices used for insulin, GLP-1 drugs, and other biologics. Our entry into the CDMO market strengthens our position further. The industry saw a significant shift when Novo Nordisk acquired three Catalent fill-finish sites after Novo Holdings completed its acquisition of Catalent in December 2024. This has created opportunities for manufacturing partners like Jabil and Pii to fill the gap,’ Jabil’s SVP, Michael Mahaz, tells us.
Catalent, a global CDMO, was recently acquired by Novo Holdings. We spoke with its CEO, Alessandro Maselli, to learn more about the company’s future plans. ‘Now, as a private company with a refueled balance sheet, we can invest and grow in key areas like cell therapies, mRNA, and gene therapy—fields that are still young and volatile. This chapter will allow us to bring these assets to maturity,’ Maselli shares. By being personalized and advanced, biologic therapies are also very costly (they can cost, on average, 22 times more than small molecules). As Maselli reminds us, CDMOs have an important role to play in driving down costs: ‘Biologics are targeted therapies for smaller populations, meaning smaller production volumes and lower asset utilization, which makes internal manufacturing uneconomical for innovators. CDMOs like us can combine volumes across clients to optimize asset use.’
Codexis, a California-based company specializing in the manufacture of complex therapeutics, caters to the needs of its partners by proactively innovating enzyme-based manufacturing solutions. The company has recently developed solutions for RNA synthesis, offering an alternative to the traditional chemical RNA production. ‘By demonstrating multiple methods to produce the same molecule, we are showing partners that a transition from chemical to enzymatic synthesis is feasible. This versatility is attractive for companies looking to reduce costs and carbon footprint while retaining product quality,’ shares the company’s CEO, Stephen Dilly. Speaking of carbon footprint, pharmaceutical companies increasingly turn to sustainable providers similar to Codexis. The CEO of Bioiberica, a Spanish-based company specializing in the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), stresses his company’s circular model. ‘When extracting biomolecules from animal sources, less than 1% of the raw material is used for APIs. The remaining 99% is repurposed, making efficiency and sustainability critical to our business model,’ Luis Solera shares.