Lonza Reports Strong Annual Growth, Proposes Dividend Increase

The pharmaceutical company saw CHF 6.5 billion in sales and a 31.6% core EBITDA margin in 2025.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 11:06pm

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Lonza, a major pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), released its annual report on Tuesday, highlighting strong financial performance in 2025 with CHF 6.5 billion in sales and a core EBITDA margin of 31.6%. The company's CEO, Wolfgang Weinand, touted the successful integration of the Vacaville, California manufacturing site acquired from Roche and progress on expansion projects at the Visp, Switzerland facilities. Lonza's board has proposed a 25% increase in the dividend to CHF 5.00 per share for shareholder approval.

Why it matters

Lonza's robust financial results and strategic investments demonstrate its ability to navigate industry challenges and position itself for continued growth. As a leading CDMO, Lonza's performance is a bellwether for the broader pharmaceutical manufacturing sector, which has seen increased demand for outsourced production capabilities.

The details

In his letter accompanying the annual report, CEO Wolfgang Weinand highlighted Lonza's strong execution of its existing business while also laying the groundwork for future expansion. This included the full integration of the Vacaville, California manufacturing site acquired from Roche for $1.2 billion in 2024, which Weinand called a 'key milestone' that expanded the company's large-scale mammalian production capacity. Lonza also progressed with ramp-up and operations at its HPAPI and large-scale mammalian drug substance facilities in Visp, Switzerland, and advanced expansion projects for bioconjugates.

  • Lonza released its annual report on Tuesday, April 1, 2026.
  • Lonza will host its annual general meeting on May 8, 2026 in Basel, Switzerland.
  • Lonza completed the $1.2 billion purchase of the Vacaville site from Roche at the end of 2024.

The players

Wolfgang Weinand

CEO of Lonza.

Barbara Richmond

Current member of Lonza's Board of Directors who will not stand for re-election.

Jürgen Steinemann

Current member of Lonza's Board of Directors who will not stand for re-election.

Roger Nitsch

Current member of Lonza's Board of Directors who will not stand for re-election.

Claudia Süssmuth-Dyckerhoff

Proposed new member of Lonza's Board of Directors, with prior experience on the Roche board and other corporate boards.

Sami Atiya

Proposed new member of Lonza's Board of Directors, with leadership experience in healthcare, robotics, automation and AI.

Stephen Fry

Proposed new member of Lonza's Board of Directors, with over 30 years of experience at Eli Lilly, including as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer.

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What they’re saying

“We executed our existing business with rigor and, at the same time, continued to lay the foundations for future growth. In the face of geopolitical and economic volatility, our business model proved resilient and delivered on our promise to effectively diversify risks across the broadest technology offering, commercial portfolio and global manufacturing footprint in the CDMO industry.”

— Wolfgang Weinand, CEO

“The site expands our large-scale mammalian manufacturing capacity and plays a central role in delivering next-generation therapies, supported by deep manufacturing expertise.”

— Wolfgang Weinand, CEO

“Meanwhile, at our Visp (CH) facilities, we progressed with the ramp-up and operations for our HPAPI and large-scale mammalian drug substance facilities and advanced expansion projects for bioconjugates, positioning us to meet growing market demand.”

— Wolfgang Weinand, CEO

What’s next

Lonza's shareholders will vote on the proposed 25% dividend increase at the company's annual general meeting on May 8, 2026.

The takeaway

Lonza's strong financial performance, strategic investments, and proposed board changes demonstrate its ability to navigate industry challenges and position the company for continued growth as a leading pharmaceutical CDMO. The company's resilience in the face of volatility underscores the importance of diversified capabilities and global manufacturing footprints in the sector.