Both Croda International and Novasep are involved in some of the vaccines nearing approval for use in the treatment of COVID-19 it has emerged. This follows on from many other announcements of development agreements involving other fine chemical companies earlier in the year.
Small molecule CDMO Cambrex is spending $50 million to expand its mid- and large-scale API manufacturing capacity in Charles City, Iowa. This is the sixth major investment at the site in the past eight years and follows on from a recent, smaller expansion at the site in Karlskroga, Sweden.
CordenPharma is to expand non-GMP solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) capacity at its centre of excellence for peptide process development and non-GMP manufacturing at Frankfurt, Germany. This should be complete in Q3 2021. The amount invested has not been disclosed.
The investment will increase lab space by 25% and add a dedicated explosionproof area. The latter will be supported by a tank farm, which, the company said, “will allow for the introduction of regular solvents, as well as compatibility with our green peptide manufacturing”.
Lonza has opened the first of two manufacturing suites at its main site in Visp, Switzerland, for the manufacture of antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) linkers or payloads. This came shortly after an unrelated deal to manufacture antibodies to treat COVID-19 for AstraZeneca and the arrival of a new CEO with a Big Pharma background.
IMCD has agreed to acquire the pharmaceutical business of Peak International Products, a Netherlands-based distributor of APIs in the Benelux, Vietnam, Germany and Israel. The business, which had sales of about €5.8 million in 2019, will be integrated into IMCD’s Pharmaceuticals business group.
Shortly before this, IMCD, the world’s fourth largest chemical distributor, completed the much larger acquisition of a 70% majority stake in Signet Excipients, a major Indian distributor of excipients, as part of its platform for further growth in India and the Asia-Pacific.
Siegfried has agreed to buy two drug product sites near Barcelona, Spain, from Novartis, in a deal expected to close by the end of 2020. Terms were not disclosed but Siegfried said that its sales should surpass CHF 1 billion in 2021, with the drug product operations “achieving the targeted critical size”.
Pharmaceutical CDMO Sterling Pharma Solutions which is based near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK, and was formerly owned by Rhodia and Shasun, has acquired Alcami’s facility at Germantown, Wisconsin (pictured). Terms were not disclosed.
Sterling said that this will boost its API development and manufacturing capacity, particularly for complex and hazardous requirements, and including high potency. Germantown has cGMP development, scale-up and manufacturing facilities with specialist expertise in handling technologies including plant-scale hydrogenation and cryogenic reactions.
