Phillip Broadwith
@broadwithp.bsky.social
Business editor at Chemistry World magazine
Pfizer and Novo Nordisk are in a bidding war over Metsera – a US biotech developing new weight loss drugs. Both suitors have upped their offers to around $10 billion, but Metsera says Novo's 'superior' offer could allow it to break its agreement with Pfizer.
www.chemistryworld.com/news/pfizer-...
www.chemistryworld.com/news/pfizer-...
Pfizer and Novo Nordisk’s battle over Metsera
Lawsuits fly in bidding war over developer of next generation weight loss drugs
www.chemistryworld.com
November 7, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Pfizer and Novo Nordisk are in a bidding war over Metsera – a US biotech developing new weight loss drugs. Both suitors have upped their offers to around $10 billion, but Metsera says Novo's 'superior' offer could allow it to break its agreement with Pfizer.
www.chemistryworld.com/news/pfizer-...
www.chemistryworld.com/news/pfizer-...
While large companies and investors still have funds to commit to spin-outs, they tend to be looking for fewer, higher value deals. That means start-ups need to be more developed, so they need more consistent support - both financial and in building expertise
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/spin...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/spin...
Spin-out support is stretched thin
University entrepreneurs need more consistent help to bridge the gap betweeen ideas and businesses
www.chemistryworld.com
October 28, 2025 at 11:10 AM
While large companies and investors still have funds to commit to spin-outs, they tend to be looking for fewer, higher value deals. That means start-ups need to be more developed, so they need more consistent support - both financial and in building expertise
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/spin...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/spin...
The future materials economy must be more circular, and we need people with the right skills to make that happen. There are skills gaps in key industries, which will take pro-active and collaborative action from industry, government and educators to address.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/goin...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/goin...
Going round in circles over skills
Closing skills gaps in key professional groups requires collaboration between government, industry and educators
www.chemistryworld.com
October 21, 2025 at 8:51 AM
The future materials economy must be more circular, and we need people with the right skills to make that happen. There are skills gaps in key industries, which will take pro-active and collaborative action from industry, government and educators to address.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/goin...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/goin...
The Nobel prize for metal-organic frameworks has been predicted for several years, even without much commercial presence. With several materials now at or close to commercial scale, perhaps the Nobel will provide the impetus for MOFs to have real-world impact.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/have...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/have...
Have MOFs now made it?
Will Nobel prize speed porous materials to commercial success?
www.chemistryworld.com
October 10, 2025 at 9:11 AM
The Nobel prize for metal-organic frameworks has been predicted for several years, even without much commercial presence. With several materials now at or close to commercial scale, perhaps the Nobel will provide the impetus for MOFs to have real-world impact.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/have...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/have...
Reposted by Phillip Broadwith
BASF builds one of world’s largest industrial heat pumps. I told Chemistry World:
“BASF is the largest chemical company in the world. Putting its weight behind heat pumps at this scale signals confidence in the technology in the chemicals sector and beyond.”
www.chemistryworld.com/news/basf-be...
“BASF is the largest chemical company in the world. Putting its weight behind heat pumps at this scale signals confidence in the technology in the chemicals sector and beyond.”
www.chemistryworld.com/news/basf-be...
October 6, 2025 at 2:09 PM
BASF builds one of world’s largest industrial heat pumps. I told Chemistry World:
“BASF is the largest chemical company in the world. Putting its weight behind heat pumps at this scale signals confidence in the technology in the chemicals sector and beyond.”
www.chemistryworld.com/news/basf-be...
“BASF is the largest chemical company in the world. Putting its weight behind heat pumps at this scale signals confidence in the technology in the chemicals sector and beyond.”
www.chemistryworld.com/news/basf-be...
Trump is threatening punitive tariffs on patented and branded medicines, unless they build US manufacturing plants. That might look like an attempt to coerce multinationals to invest but that view belies the complexity of the industry and its supply chains.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/trum...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/trum...
Trump steps up pharma tariff threat
Taxing branded drug imports could hit biotech innovators hardest
www.chemistryworld.com
October 2, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Trump is threatening punitive tariffs on patented and branded medicines, unless they build US manufacturing plants. That might look like an attempt to coerce multinationals to invest but that view belies the complexity of the industry and its supply chains.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/trum...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/trum...
The global petrochemicals landscape is shifting. China's massive capacity expansion aimed at reducing imports has left producers elsewhere with oversupply, leading to low prices, squeezed margins, and closure of plants with higher costs - mainly in Europe.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/a-gl...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/a-gl...
A global petrochemical shift
China's rapid capacity expansion fuels global oversupply, leading plant closures in Europe and elsewhere
www.chemistryworld.com
September 30, 2025 at 11:13 AM
The global petrochemicals landscape is shifting. China's massive capacity expansion aimed at reducing imports has left producers elsewhere with oversupply, leading to low prices, squeezed margins, and closure of plants with higher costs - mainly in Europe.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/a-gl...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/a-gl...
Pharma leaders have branded the UK 'uninvestable' as Merck & Co, AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly have canceled or paused R&D investments. But they also recognise the UK's world-class research base, meaning it should be possible to tip the balance back again. www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/is-u...
Is UK pharma really ‘uninvestable’?
Merck & Co, AstraZeneca (AZ) and Eli Lilly pulling UK projects highlights the precarious position of the country's life sciences industry
www.chemistryworld.com
September 23, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Pharma leaders have branded the UK 'uninvestable' as Merck & Co, AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly have canceled or paused R&D investments. But they also recognise the UK's world-class research base, meaning it should be possible to tip the balance back again. www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/is-u...
With UK plants facing closure, what are the options and issues around different renewable fuels? Dropping US tariffs means corn-derived ethanol imports are cheaper than domestic sugarbeet crops, while biodiesel and other options face similar issues
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/uk-b...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/uk-b...
UK biofuels burning out
With UK plants facing closure, what are the options and issues around different renewable fuels?
www.chemistryworld.com
September 16, 2025 at 10:03 AM
With UK plants facing closure, what are the options and issues around different renewable fuels? Dropping US tariffs means corn-derived ethanol imports are cheaper than domestic sugarbeet crops, while biodiesel and other options face similar issues
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/uk-b...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/uk-b...
Argentina's medical fentanyl contamination tragedy has left over 50 people dead. Bacterial contamination of drugs is generally accidental, and normally intercepted, but the consequences of tradeoffs that make safeguards more likely to fail are devastating.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/dead...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/dead...
Deadly fentanyl contamination exposes drug safety challenges
Bacterial conatmination in medical fentanyl has killed at least 51 people in Argentina, highlighting pressures on generic drugmakers
www.chemistryworld.com
September 9, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Argentina's medical fentanyl contamination tragedy has left over 50 people dead. Bacterial contamination of drugs is generally accidental, and normally intercepted, but the consequences of tradeoffs that make safeguards more likely to fail are devastating.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/dead...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/dead...
Diabetes/weight loss peptide injectables - Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic/Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro/Zepbound - are incredibly successful, with potentially even more promising peptides in the pipeline. So why the rush to replace them with pills?
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/will...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/will...
Will oral weight loss drugs challenge injectables?
Pills may offer convenience for manufacturers, but it's not clear they will overtake existing drugs
www.chemistryworld.com
August 19, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Diabetes/weight loss peptide injectables - Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic/Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro/Zepbound - are incredibly successful, with potentially even more promising peptides in the pipeline. So why the rush to replace them with pills?
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/will...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/will...
If we are to reach a more circular plastic economy, there has to be economic supply and demand for recycled materials. That means virgin materials (currently cheap and abundant) must become more expensive – either by taxation, limiting production or both.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/chea...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/chea...
Cheap virgin plastic limits recycling potential
Global plastic treaty negotiations risk being derailed by minority opposed to production caps
www.chemistryworld.com
August 13, 2025 at 11:25 AM
If we are to reach a more circular plastic economy, there has to be economic supply and demand for recycled materials. That means virgin materials (currently cheap and abundant) must become more expensive – either by taxation, limiting production or both.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/chea...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/chea...
The UN’s new panel on chemicals, waste and pollution faces a gargantuan and complex task. But there are still details to finalise. It's crucial that there are ways to feed independent and industrial science into committees, while managing inevitable biases.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/inte...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/inte...
Intergovernmental panel on chemicals, waste and pollution needs diverse input
Balancing industrial expertise against unwanted commercial influence is not easy but shouldn't be discounted
www.chemistryworld.com
August 5, 2025 at 2:26 PM
The UN’s new panel on chemicals, waste and pollution faces a gargantuan and complex task. But there are still details to finalise. It's crucial that there are ways to feed independent and industrial science into committees, while managing inevitable biases.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/inte...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/inte...
Farmers and researchers across the world are experiencing disturbed sleep patterns associated with exposure to a variety of chemical pesticides. And while putting the pesticides away would be a simple solution, it's impractical - they are too useful.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/losi...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/losi...
Losing sleep over pesticide exposure
Managing exposure risks
www.chemistryworld.com
July 29, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Farmers and researchers across the world are experiencing disturbed sleep patterns associated with exposure to a variety of chemical pesticides. And while putting the pesticides away would be a simple solution, it's impractical - they are too useful.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/losi...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/losi...
In 2015, the Chinese government introduced reforms aimed at supercharging pharmaceutical innovation. Those reforms are bearing fruit, with an investment boom and both domestic and international approvals of China-developed drugs increasing markedly.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/chin...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/chin...
China’s drug development charge
Reforms and state support have fuelled domestic and foreign investment in pharmaceutical
www.chemistryworld.com
July 23, 2025 at 1:35 PM
In 2015, the Chinese government introduced reforms aimed at supercharging pharmaceutical innovation. Those reforms are bearing fruit, with an investment boom and both domestic and international approvals of China-developed drugs increasing markedly.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/chin...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/chin...
2 more European crackers are closing, plus a handful of other basic chemicals plants. Chemicals are the foundation of huge swathes of manufacturing industry, and their closures will have significant long- and short-term impacts on regional production networks.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/crac...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/crac...
Cracking under pressure
Basic chemical plant closures highlight strain on European industry
www.chemistryworld.com
July 15, 2025 at 3:03 PM
2 more European crackers are closing, plus a handful of other basic chemicals plants. Chemicals are the foundation of huge swathes of manufacturing industry, and their closures will have significant long- and short-term impacts on regional production networks.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/crac...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/crac...
US approval of Gilead’s 6-month HIV preventive injection is a huge advance. But will it get where it's needed?
The highest risk of HIV infection is in lower income countries, and cuts to international aid budgets risk derailing generic supply agreements. www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/will...
The highest risk of HIV infection is in lower income countries, and cuts to international aid budgets risk derailing generic supply agreements. www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/will...
Will HIV prevention get where it’s needed?
Gilead and its partners' efforts to distribute generic lenacapavir could be derailed by cuts in international aid budgets
www.chemistryworld.com
July 8, 2025 at 2:06 PM
US approval of Gilead’s 6-month HIV preventive injection is a huge advance. But will it get where it's needed?
The highest risk of HIV infection is in lower income countries, and cuts to international aid budgets risk derailing generic supply agreements. www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/will...
The highest risk of HIV infection is in lower income countries, and cuts to international aid budgets risk derailing generic supply agreements. www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/will...
For such critical materials, a whole variety of metals have quite precarious supply chains. From Congolese cobalt to various metals with (perhaps unexpected) military applications, supplies of technologically important materials are under serious strain
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/crit...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/crit...
Critical metals supply strained
Conflict - both military and political - is having profound effects on supplies of a wide range of materials
www.chemistryworld.com
June 24, 2025 at 2:31 PM
For such critical materials, a whole variety of metals have quite precarious supply chains. From Congolese cobalt to various metals with (perhaps unexpected) military applications, supplies of technologically important materials are under serious strain
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/crit...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/crit...
What is the UK's oil refining future? EET’s Stanlow refinery has been refitted with a hydrogen-ready furnace, which it says will reduce the plant’s carbon footprint. But that assumes it captures emissions from H2 production
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/the-...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/the-...
The future of oil refining in the UK
Can plants adapt to be compatible with a lower-carbon environment?
www.chemistryworld.com
June 19, 2025 at 2:53 PM
What is the UK's oil refining future? EET’s Stanlow refinery has been refitted with a hydrogen-ready furnace, which it says will reduce the plant’s carbon footprint. But that assumes it captures emissions from H2 production
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/the-...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/the-...
UK chemicals industry has learned some lessons from the past & now sees relatively few serious incidents. But when incidents are rare, investment in safety is an easy target for budget cuts, whose impact may not be seen for years, but could be catastrophic. www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/safe...
Safety is everyone’s responsibility
Maintaining culture and investment is key, especially in the absence of incidents
www.chemistryworld.com
June 3, 2025 at 2:36 PM
UK chemicals industry has learned some lessons from the past & now sees relatively few serious incidents. But when incidents are rare, investment in safety is an easy target for budget cuts, whose impact may not be seen for years, but could be catastrophic. www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/safe...
Trump wants more medicines be manufactured in the US. And he’s brandishing both tariff stick and red-tape-cutting carrot.
But it takes years to build new plants, so investment decisions are unlikely to have been significantly swayed by Trump's policies.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/rebu...
But it takes years to build new plants, so investment decisions are unlikely to have been significantly swayed by Trump's policies.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/rebu...
Rebuilding pharma supply chains
Multinationals are promising huge US investments, but it's not all because of Trump's policies
www.chemistryworld.com
May 13, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Trump wants more medicines be manufactured in the US. And he’s brandishing both tariff stick and red-tape-cutting carrot.
But it takes years to build new plants, so investment decisions are unlikely to have been significantly swayed by Trump's policies.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/rebu...
But it takes years to build new plants, so investment decisions are unlikely to have been significantly swayed by Trump's policies.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/rebu...
The deadly Iranian port explosion is a stark reminder of the inherent risks of transporting large quantities of hazardous chemicals around the world, and the challenges of tracking and regulating shipments effectively, while allowing trade to flow efficiently.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/iran...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/iran...
Iran port explosion highlights issues of shipping hazardous chemicals
Intersecting regulations and jurisdictions mean rules can be accidentally or deliberately overlooked
www.chemistryworld.com
May 6, 2025 at 2:53 PM
The deadly Iranian port explosion is a stark reminder of the inherent risks of transporting large quantities of hazardous chemicals around the world, and the challenges of tracking and regulating shipments effectively, while allowing trade to flow efficiently.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/iran...
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/iran...
There is a chronic shortage of labs for UK companies that are starting up and scaling up. It’s been holding back growth for years.
Declining demand for shops and offices in cities provides an opportunity to develop new labs, but they need to be flexible www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/givi...
Declining demand for shops and offices in cities provides an opportunity to develop new labs, but they need to be flexible www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/givi...
Giving companies room to grow
Can shopping centres and offices become urban lab spaces for innovative companies to grow and scale-up?
www.chemistryworld.com
April 29, 2025 at 3:19 PM
There is a chronic shortage of labs for UK companies that are starting up and scaling up. It’s been holding back growth for years.
Declining demand for shops and offices in cities provides an opportunity to develop new labs, but they need to be flexible www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/givi...
Declining demand for shops and offices in cities provides an opportunity to develop new labs, but they need to be flexible www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/givi...
The UK government is looking for input from people/companies affected by US tariffs, or who might be affected if the UK imposes tariffs on US goods in response. If that's you, complete the government survey here before 1 May. www.gov.uk/government/p...
April 7, 2025 at 9:25 AM
The UK government is looking for input from people/companies affected by US tariffs, or who might be affected if the UK imposes tariffs on US goods in response. If that's you, complete the government survey here before 1 May. www.gov.uk/government/p...
The US pharmaceutical and chemicals industries rely heavily on imports of products that aren't made in the US, and it would take years to build capacity. Whatever Trump's goal is with the tariffs, the industries are facing significant pains while it plays out. www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/trum...
Trump’s tariff stand-off
Piling cost and complexity to stretched global supply chains will hit industries hard
www.chemistryworld.com
April 4, 2025 at 1:21 PM
The US pharmaceutical and chemicals industries rely heavily on imports of products that aren't made in the US, and it would take years to build capacity. Whatever Trump's goal is with the tariffs, the industries are facing significant pains while it plays out. www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/trum...