Dive Brief:
- Cambrex, a manufacturer of small molecule and generic active pharmaceutical ingredients, is expanding R&D capabilities at its Milan, Italy site.
- The expansion, which will add a new 150-square-meter R&D laboratory with 14 fume hoods and glass-lined reactors, will allow Cambrex to expand its generics portfolio and will require the recruitment of additional staff.
- Construction is expected to complete by the end of 2018, with installation and validation of analytical instruments, including high- and ultra-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography systems, in the first quarter of 2019.
Dive Insight:
By one estimate, the global active pharmaceutical ingredients market hit about $152 billion in 2017, according to a report from Transparency Market Research. This rise is driven by the growth in the number of generic APIs as product patents expire, and the rising demand for generic drugs from patients and payers.
Cambrex first opened its Milan plant in 2016 as a pilot facility, with an aim to produce small volume active pharmaceutical ingredients for niche markets. Growth demand in APIs means Cambrex now needs more scientists and more bench space in order to keep up.
"The new laboratory will increase the number of programs we can be active in at any one time, allowing us to expand our portfolio of generic products," said Aldo Magnini, managing director of Cambrex Milan, in a statement.
Cambrex has been expanding elsewhere in Europe, as well as in the U.S. Other expansions over 2018 include installing and commissioning a fourth reactor suite at its High Point, North Carolina facility, increasing the size of its facility at Charles City, Iowa, and expanding laboratory facilities at its plant in Karlskoga, Sweden.
Other companies making expansions in API manufacturing include Patheon, expanding development at sites in the U.S. and Italy, and Avista Solutions, upgrading and expanding its Colorado facility.