As “part of its strategy to meet the evolution of customer needs in fine chemicals and services”, the Minafin Group has reorganised itself into three divisions, each with its own CEO, with effect from 1 October. They are:

* Health Chemistry, comprising the pharmaceutical activities of Minakem CDMO, Minakem Generics and HPAPIs, led by a CEO who is as yet unannounced

* Green Chemistry, comprising the mainly non-pharma activities of Pennakem, Minasolve, Minagro and EcoXtract, under Gust Desmedt

PharmaZell, a German-based producer of speciality APIs, and France’s CDMO Groupe Novasep are to merge under the ownership of PharmaZell’s current majority shareholder, private equity firm Bridgepoint. This remains subject to consultation with employees and other closing conditions.

Curia has announced plans to invest about $35 million in order to expand commercial-scale API manufacturing capacity at its largest site in Rensselaer, New York, over the course of 18 months. This is the third significant announcement in the month since the former AMRI renamed itself.

Heraeus Pharmaceutical Ingredients (HPI) has announced that its new production line for platinum-based pharmaceutical ingredients at its headquarters in Hanau, Germany, is now running at full speed and customers have already received the first deliveries of APIs. The company launched the project in late 2018 in response to growing demand for oncology drugs and imminent shortages. HPI, a business line of Heraeus Precious Metals, is world’s largest supplier of platinum-based HPAPIs, which are used in numerous therapies, notably lung, colorectal, ovarian and testicular cancer.

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”.

CDMOs Sterling Pharma Solutions and Novasep have both made announcements in the high potency arena in the past week. The former has signed a manufacturing deal with oncology specialist OncoTex, while the latter is expanding its main high potency API (HPAPI) site at Le Mans.