SKAN Group has come out with its financial results for the first half of 2025.
The Switzerland-based company is a provider of isolators, cleanroom devices, and decontamination processes, primarily focused on the aseptic production of biopharmaceutical substances.
The company stated that H1 was marked by “two contrasting developments”
The two developments concern a very strong order intake, contrasted by weak net sales.
The strong order intake was attributed to filling lines for ADCs (antibody drug conjugates), which SKAN said were in particularly high demand.
These modern oncology drugs require complex, large-scale aseptic-toxic systems with the highest quality and safety requirements.
SKAN’s success rate for tenders for these products was over 40%.
This success delivered order intake at 20.2% above 2024, with the order backlog reaching a record level of CHF 386.4m.
So orders were coming in, but why were sales so low in comparison to 2024.
In terms of incoming money, SKAN attributed the weak performance to project delays. This means that final payments on these can not be taken, so do not contribute to H1. These payments can often be about 20% of total project revenue.
Specifically, these project delays centre around vaccine lines. “This development is primarily attributable to the global shift in vaccine-related demand and strategic priorities by some pharmaceutical companies,” SKAN stated. “Several lines ordered during the COVID phase are only slowly being put into operation.”
Current developments in US customs policy also represent a challenge to businesses with operations in the US
SKAN does believe that it will be able to compensate for these temporary shortfalls in the second half of the year due to its full order books and pipeline.
Other influencing factors in the company’s operations this year, were acquisitions and tariffs.
July saw two important majority share acquisitions for SKAN; Metronik and ABC Transfer. These acquisitions focus on digitalisation and aseptic transfer, respectively. Both of these will add significant value to the company’s offering in the pharmaceutical industry.
Current developments in US customs policy also represent a challenge to businesses with operations in the US. “[The tariffs] confirm the strategic relevance of the plan to expand the SKAN site in the US and establish local production.”
SKAN added that suitable options are currently being evaluated for this US expansion.