Cambrex Accelerates $100 Million Investment, Expands Drug Manufacturing Capacity Early

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., March 18, 2024 – Cambrex, a prominent global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), is on the brink of completing a significant investment strategy valued at $100 million, achieving this milestone a year ahead of its planned schedule. This ambitious project, which enhances over 150,000 square feet of capacity and capabilities within approximately 70% of its drug development and manufacturing network in North America and Europe, is set to conclude by the end of 2024. The investment encompasses a wide range of clinical and commercial drug substance manufacturing scales and introduces advanced technologies aimed at addressing the complexities associated with intricate molecules.

Following these strategic investments, Cambrex's leading API manufacturing facility located in Charles City, Iowa, will boast an impressive reactor capacity exceeding 25,000 gallons. Tom Loewald, Chief Executive Officer at Cambrex, shared his enthusiasm about the project's progress: "When we began this journey, we aligned our investment strategy to the future needs of our pharmaceutical customers. In addition to manufacturing capacity, we invested in specialized technologies to accelerate the development of highly potent APIs and complex synthetic candidates. I'm thrilled to announce that these capabilities and capacity will be available to the market well ahead of schedule, showcasing the efforts of our talented site operations and engineering teams."

In North America, the five-year investment strategy has led to capacity expansions in Charles City, Iowa, and High Point, North Carolina. These expansions include clinical and commercial manufacturing suites for small-volume, large-volume, and highly potent API manufacturing. To further support early development programs, Cambrex has enhanced its capabilities in Longmont, Colorado by co-locating analytical services with drug substance and drug product development. Additionally, specialized technologies for continuous flow process development and complex synthetics have been added in Waltham, Massachusetts.

In Europe, Cambrex has broadened its research and development capabilities with a new high potency lab for API process and analytical development in Milan, Italy. A new stability storage facility has also been commissioned in Liege, Belgium. The final phases of expansion in 2024 will see the addition of a modernized quality control laboratory in Charles City, Iowa and the commissioning of two new 6m³ scale production lines in Karlskoga, Sweden. This represents a 50% increase in large-scale API manufacturing capacity.

With these strategic investments nearing completion, Cambrex solidifies its position as a key player in supporting the development and manufacture of innovative therapies that contribute to improving human health. Cambrex stands as a leading CDMO with over 40 years of experience. It boasts a team of 2,000 experts servicing global clients from North America and Europe. Cambrex offers a comprehensive range of specialized drug substance technologies and capabilities including continuous flow, controlled substances, solid-state science, material characterization, and highly potent APIs.