Bora's expansion tear continues as CDMO takes up stake in Tanvex, gains manufacturing capabilities

Bora Pharmaceuticals extended its expansion tear by taking a 30.5% stake in fellow Taiwanese drugmaker Tanvex BioPharma, boosting the CDMO’s biomanufacturing capabilities.

The deal, which is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2025, will make Bora the largest shareholder in Tanvex. It also gives Bora access to Tanvex's commercial-scale production facility in San Diego, the CDMO said in an Aug. 27 press release.

Tanvex boasts more than 100,000 square feet of biomanufacturing space and operates 1,000- liter bioreactors, which will complement Bora’s 500-liter bioreactors, Bora added. The companies "will combine their biomanufacturing facilities to create a global solution for biologics development and supply," according to Bora's release.

Bobby Sheng, Bora Group’s chairman and CEO, will become chair of the merged organization.

“This partnership will enable the combined entity to rapidly respond to evolving industry demands and policy developments, such as the BIOSECURE Act in the US, and capitalize on new opportunities in onshoring, friendshoring, and the growing CDMO demands driven by these policy changes,” Sheng said in the release.

The investment in Tanvex is the latest move in Bora’s global expansion march.

In June, Bora shelled out $30 million to snap up Emergent’s fill-finish drug product facility in Baltimore that offers clinical and commercial nonviral aseptic fill-finish services on four fill lines, including lyophilization, formulation development and support services.

That acquisition followed January’s $210 million acquisition of Minnesota generics manufacturer Upsher-Smith Laboratories that gave Bora a foothold in the U.S.

In 2022, Bora purchased fellow Taiwanese company TWi Pharmaceuticals, gaining two manufacturing facilities and some niche technologies, and it also bought Eden Biologics' CDMO business.