Lonza to buy Cambrex units

CBM will sell its research bioproducts and microbial biopharma businesses to Lonza (SWX:LONN) for $460 million in cash. LONN said the bioproducts business will provide it with raw materials and testing services and allow it to sell its products to earlier stage research and life science customers, while the biopharma business will add mid-scale manufacturing capability to its own large-scale microbial biopharmaceutical production. The bioproducts business posted sales of $149.5 million in 2005, while the biopharma business posted sales of $41.7 million in 2005. CBM said the sale of the businesses is part of the strategic alternative process it announced in February. ...