Industry News and Headlines

Biopharma Must Cope With The Fetal Bovine Serum Squeeze

Biopharma faces a tightening fetal bovine serum (FBS) market as U.S. cattle inventories hit record lows and European disease outbreaks curb supply. Prices have surged more than 300% over five years and release timelines have lengthened from weeks to months because of USDA testing bottlenecks and a recent government shutdown. Growing demand from cell, gene and RNA therapy pipelines compounds the squeeze, prompting companies to consider costly spot purchases or inventory stockpiles. Experts advise flexible specifications, diversified sourcing, and better procurement education to blunt cost and schedule impacts.