Lonza Group stock gains US scale through Merck CDMO deal

Published on 11/09/2026 at 12:44 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Lonza Group stock is in focus after the company agreed to acquire five US CDMO sites from Merck KGaA. Closing is expected in mid-2027.

Lonza expands its US CDMO platform

The Merck KGaA transaction broadens Lonza's capabilities in bioconjugates, payload-linkers, viral vectors and aseptic manufacturing.
Management kept the 2026 outlook and organic growth model unchanged while preserving the planned share buyback.
The acquired operations are expected to add scale gradually as Lonza integrates the network and improves utilization.

Lonza Group, CH0013841017, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

Lonza agreed on November 3, 2026, to acquire five contract development and manufacturing organization sites from Merck KGaA in the United States. Investing.com, citing Reuters, reported that the transaction is valued in the low- to mid-triple-digit millions of Swiss francs.

The deal would expand Lonza's US network from four sites to nine and add approximately 1,100 employees, taking its US workforce above 6,000. The facilities are located in St. Louis, Missouri; Madison and Verona, Wisconsin; Carlsbad, California; and Indianapolis, Indiana.

Specialized capacity drives the transaction

The acquired operations cover several advanced manufacturing fields. St. Louis produces bioconjugates, while the Wisconsin sites make high-potency payload-linkers used in targeted cancer therapies. Carlsbad adds viral-vector capabilities and aseptic fill-finish, while Indianapolis handles lipid nanoparticles, liposomes and PEGylated proteins alongside aseptic services.

Lonza expects the sites to generate around CHF 250 million in sales during full-year 2028. Their CORE EBITDA margin is expected to remain below the group level initially, with an insignificant impact on the overall company. Lonza expects the acquired operations to reach peak sales at its future group margin level by the mid-2030s.

The businesses will continue to operate independently until closing, which Lonza expects in mid-2027 subject to customary conditions. The company plans to fund the purchase with available cash and existing credit facilities and expects to maintain its BBB+ credit rating.

Outlook remains unchanged

Lonza said the transaction does not change its 2026 financial outlook or Organic Growth Model. It also does not affect the previously announced share buyback following the planned divestment of the Capsules and Health Ingredients business.

Chief Executive Officer Wolfgang Wienand described the acquisition as a fit with Lonza's One Lonza Strategy and its capital-allocation approach. For investors, the transaction adds US capacity in drug modalities with long-term growth potential, but the financial contribution is expected to build gradually rather than materially lift near-term results.

Lonza Group stock traded at 730.50 euros on Lang & Schwarz at 12:39 CET on Monday, November 9, 2026. Investors can follow the real-time quote of Lonza Group stock.