Business Watch: Investor seeks Ashland sale; WuXi sues the Pentagon

This week's chemical and pharmaceutical industry updates highlight Mitsui Chemicals acquiring US-based Ultradent Products for $900 million to gain a foothold in the US dental market, and General Motors partnering with battery startup Peak Energy to develop sodium-ion batteries for stationary energy storage. Meanwhile, activist investor Ancora Holdings is pressuring specialty chemical maker Ashland to put itself up for sale, arguing that separating its life sciences and personal care businesses from commodity operations would unlock significant shareholder value.