Novasep has signed a letter of intent to supply the API for Pfizer’s Paxlovid, an oral protease inhibitor against COVID-19 that has shown a positive impact in clinical trials on hospitalisation among at-risk patients Technical transfer, on-site development and equipment installation activities have begun already at the Mourenx facility in France, which is expected to be incorporated into the supply chain by Q3.

Novasep has announced a €6.1 million investment to modernise API manufacturing at its site in Mourenx, south-west France. This followed on shortly after a €4 million investment had been announced at its main HPAPIs site at Le Mans.

Via the former investment, Novasep will install new equipment and revamp clean rooms for API isolation at Mourenx, creating seven new jobs. The company said that this will “enhance Novasep’s flexibility and develop a high-performance capacity for the custom manufacturing of innovative therapeutic molecules”.