Life Science

Life Science

Key figures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change

€ million

 

2025

 

2024

 

€ million

 

%

Net sales

 

8,980

 

8,916

 

64

 

0.7%

Operating result (EBIT)1

 

1,467

 

1,507

 

-39

 

-2.6%

Margin (% of net sales)1

 

16.3%

 

16.9%

 

 

 

 

EBITDA2

 

2,423

 

2,455

 

-32

 

-1.3%

Margin (% of net sales)1

 

27.0%

 

27.5%

 

 

 

 

EBITDA pre1

 

2,585

 

2,589

 

-4

 

-0.2%

Margin (% of net sales)1

 

28.8%

 

29.0%

 

 

 

 

1

Not defined by IFRS Accounting Standards.

2

Not defined by IFRS Accounting Standards; EBITDA corresponds to operating result (EBIT) adjusted by depreciation, amortization, impairment losses, and reversals of impairment losses.

Development of sales and results of operations

The development of net sales in the individual quarters in comparison with 2024 as well as the respective organic growth rates are presented in the following chart:

Life Science

Net sales and organic growth1 by quarter2
€ million/organic growth in %

Life Science – Net sales and organic growth by quarter (Bar chart)
1 Not defined by IFRS Accounting Standards.
2 Quarterly breakdown unaudited.
Life Science

Net sales by business unit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

€ million

 

2025

 

Share

 

Organic growth1

 

Exchange rate effects1

 

Acqui­sitions/divest­ments1

 

Total change

 

20242

 

Share

Science & Lab Solutions

 

4,536

 

51%

 

0.3%

 

-3.4%

 

0.2%

 

-2.9%

 

4,672

 

52%

Process Solutions

 

3,785

 

42%

 

10.7%

 

-3.5%

 

0.3%

 

7.5%

 

3,522

 

40%

Life Science Services

 

659

 

7%

 

-4.5%

 

-3.4%

 

-0.9%

 

-8.7%

 

722

 

8%

Life Science

 

8,980

 

100%

 

4.0%

 

-3.4%

 

0.1%

 

0.7%

 

8,916

 

100%

1

Not defined by IFRS Accounting Standards.

2

Previous-year figures have been adjusted owing to an internal realignment.

  • Sales of the Science & Lab Solutions business unit, which provides products and services to support life science research for pharmaceutical, biotechnology and academic research laboratories and researchers as well as scientific and industrial laboratories, remained around stable organically in fiscal 2025. This development was mainly affected by two factors: policy changes in the United States negatively impacting spending by academic and government research labs, and an overall challenging market environment, especially in China. Additionally, early-stage biotech funding in the market remained flat. Unfavorable foreign exchange effects in particular contributed to an overall sales decrease to € 4,536 million (2024: € 4,672 million).

  • The Process Solutions business unit, which markets products and services for the entire pharmaceutical production value chain, saw organic growth of 10.7% in fiscal 2025. Despite unfavorable foreign exchange effects, net sales increased across all core regions (Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific) in 2025, driven primarily by higher demand from new customer projects and a normalizing market.

  • The Life Science Services business unit, which offers fully integrated contract testing, development and manufacturing services, recorded a significant organic sales decline in fiscal 2025. This was mainly driven by the organic decline from our contract testing activities, due mainly to non-repeat projects in the previous year. Including unfavorable foreign exchange effects, the decline in sales was mainly attributable to North America.

Net sales of the business sector by region developed as follows:

Life Science

Net sales by region

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

€ million

 

2025

 

Share

 

Organic growth1

 

Exchange rate effects1

 

Acqui­sitions/divest­ments1

 

Total change

 

2024

 

Share

Europe

 

3,315

 

37%

 

5.8%

 

 

 

5.7%

 

3,136

 

35%

North America

 

3,065

 

34%

 

1.4%

 

-4.3%

 

0.4%

 

-2.6%

 

3,146

 

35%

Asia-Pacific (APAC)

 

2,125

 

24%

 

4.5%

 

-5.4%

 

 

-0.8%

 

2,143

 

24%

Latin America

 

362

 

4%

 

8.2%

 

-13.6%

 

 

-5.3%

 

382

 

4%

Middle East and Africa (MEA)

 

112

 

1%

 

3.1%

 

-0.1%

 

 

3.0%

 

109

 

1%

Life Science

 

8,980

 

100%

 

4.0%

 

-3.4%

 

0.1%

 

0.7%

 

8,916

 

100%

1

Not defined by IFRS Accounting Standards.

The following table presents the composition of EBITDA pre for 2025 in comparison with 2024. The IFRS Accounting Standards figures have been modified to reflect the elimination of adjustments included in the respective functional costs.

Life Science

Reconciliation EBITDA pre1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2025

 

2024

 

Change

€ million

 

IFRS

 

Elimination of adjust­ments

 

Pre1

 

IFRS

 

Elimination of adjust­ments

 

Pre1

 

Pre1

Net sales

 

8,980

 

 

8,980

 

8,916

 

 

8,916

 

0.7%

Cost of sales

 

-4,225

 

40

 

-4,185

 

-4,150

 

25

 

-4,125

 

1.4%

Gross profit

 

4,755

 

40

 

4,795

 

4,766

 

25

 

4,791

 

0.1%

Marketing and selling expenses

 

-2,199

 

6

 

-2,193

 

-2,238

 

25

 

-2,213

 

-0.9%

Administration expenses

 

-449

 

57

 

-393

 

-441

 

58

 

-382

 

2.7%

Research and development costs

 

-401

 

-1

 

-402

 

-388

 

1

 

-387

 

4.0%

Impairment losses and reversals of impairment losses on financial assets (net)

 

-5

 

 

-5

 

-7

 

 

-7

 

-23.9%

Other operating income and expenses

 

-233

 

160

 

-73

 

-186

 

111

 

-75

 

-2.9%

Operating result (EBIT)1

 

1,467

 

 

 

 

 

1,507

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation/amortization/impairment losses/reversals of impairment losses

 

956

 

-99

 

857

 

948

 

-86

 

863

 

-0.7%

EBITDA2

 

2,423

 

 

 

 

 

2,455

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restructuring expenses

 

64

 

-64

 

 

73

 

-73

 

 

 

Integration expenses/IT expenses

 

54

 

-54

 

 

46

 

-46

 

 

 

Gains (-)/losses (+) on the divestment of businesses

 

24

 

-24

 

 

1

 

-1

 

 

 

Acquisition-related adjustments

 

5

 

-5

 

 

14

 

-14

 

 

 

Other adjustments

 

14

 

-14

 

 

 

 

 

 

EBITDA pre2

 

2,585

 

 

2,585

 

2,589

 

 

2,589

 

-0.2%

of which: organic growth1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.9%

of which: exchange rate effects

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-4.3%

of which: acquisitions/divestments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.3%

1

Not defined by IFRS Accounting Standards.

2

Not defined by IFRS Accounting Standards; EBITDA corresponds to operating result (EBIT) adjusted by depreciation, amortization, impairment losses, and reversals of impairment losses.

  • Adjusted gross profit for the Life Science business sector remained around stable in fiscal 2025 compared with the previous year. Positive impacts such as the organic sales growth of Process Solutions in the low-teens percentage range and strict management of production costs were offset by higher tariff charges following the U.S. administration’s introduction of increased tariffs as well as unfavorable foreign exchange effects. At 53.4%, the adjusted gross margin in fiscal 2025 was around stable compared with the previous year (2024: 53.7%).

  • Marketing and selling expenses declined slightly in fiscal 2025 compared with fiscal 2024. Annual wage and salary increases were offset by saving measures and positive foreign exchange effects. The increase in research and development (R&D) costs was mainly driven by higher expenses for R&D projects to foster innovation and future growth and was also related to the acquisition of Mirus Bio LLC, USA, and Hub Organoids Holding B.V., Netherlands.

  • While EBITDA pre saw a moderate organic increase in 2025 in line with the moderate organic sales growth, overall growth was impacted by unfavorable foreign exchange effects which offset the organic performance. Despite the unfavorable foreign exchange effects and the impact from increased tariffs, the EBITDA pre margin of 28.8% (2024: 29.0%) remained around stable overall in fiscal 2025.

The development of EBITDA pre in the individual quarters in comparison with 2024 is presented in the following overview:

Life Science

EBITDA pre1 and change by quarter2
€ million/change in %

Life Science – EBITDA pre and change by quarter (Bar chart)
1 Not defined by IFRS Accounting Standards.
2 Quarterly breakdown unaudited.

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