CDMO SK Pharmteco has announced plans to invest $260 million in a new small molecule and peptide facility in Sejong, South Korea, the fifth in its home country and the cornerstone of its global manufacturing network. This is scheduled to begin operations in late 2026, creating over 300 jobs.

Lonza has launched its AI-enabled route scouting service offering for small molecules, which combines AI-enabled computer-aided synthesis planning technology from Elsevier operation Reaxys with its own process R&D expertise and supply chain databases. This aims to streamline synthetic route identification.

Cambrex has completed a $38 million expansion at its small molecule API facility in High Point, North Carolina. This doubles capacity, with new analytical and chemical development laboratories, two new clinical manufacturing suites and a small-scale commercial manufacturing operation with three work centres and 2,000 litre reactors. Work originally began in 2021. This has created about 70 jobs.

CDMO Sterling Pharma Solutions has announced what it called the next phase of a multi-year investment strategy at its site in Dudley, UK. It will spend £10 million by mid-2022 on new process development laboratories and commercial-scale manufacturing equipment to meet growth in demand for small molecule API manufacturing.