CordenPharma Expands Peptide Platform with more than 500 Million Euro Greenfield Facility Construction in the Basel Region of Switzerland
- CordenPharma is making a record investment of >€1 billion over the next 3 years in building and / or expanding small, medium, and large peptide manufacturing facilities across Europe and the US.
- In Switzerland, CordenPharma will invest >€500m to construct a greenfield site for small to large-scale peptide development and manufacturing located within the Basel region in Muttenz.
- In its Colorado, US site, ongoing expansion will target additional large-scale peptide manufacturing capacity of existing lines as well as a greenfield construction for new production areas.
BASEL, Switzerland, March 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Following its 16 July 2024 announcement, CordenPharma is pleased to share significant progress on its growth initiatives with a >€1 billion strategic investment in peptide development and manufacturing. The company's ambitious expansion plans are set to propel its Peptide Platform business beyond the €1 billion sales milestone by 2028, reinforcing CordenPharma's position as a market leader in integrated supply of small to large-scale services from APIs to Drug Products, for both Injectable and Oral Peptides.
As part of this strategy, CordenPharma has finalized plans to establish a state-of-the-art peptide manufacturing facility in Switzerland located at Getec Park in Muttenz, just 8 km outside Basel – a major biotech and pharma hub within Europe.
The decision to locate the plant near Basel is supported by several key advantages, including:
- Efficient infrastructure, with existing systems for handling materials and processes that are crucial for state-of-the-art peptide manufacturing.
- Optimal logistics, with streamlined access to transportation networks.
- Established large-scale utilities already in place to support chemical manufacturing needs.
- Talent pool access due to close proximity to Basel, a renowned pharma and biotech hub at the crossroads of Germany, France, and Switzerland, ensuring access to highly skilled professionals.
- The surrounding industrial park ensures sustainable operational efficiency in a well-established manufacturing ecosystem with closed-loop energy and material cycles, as well as innovative waste-to-value streams, with a clear strategic path to net-zero.
This >€500 million investment will feature multiple manufacturing lines capable of supporting small, medium, and large-scale peptide production with small- to large-scale Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis (SPPS) reactors for GLP-1 and non-GLP-1 peptide projects – with a total SPPS reactor capacity of more than 5,000 L. The new state-of-the-art facility will feature advanced automation, cutting-edge digitalization, and innovative peptide production technologies, ensuring compliance with the most stringent regulations, including BLA requirements. With the main construction and qualification phase taking place between 2025 and 2027 and start of commercial activities to begin in the first half of 2028, the company is proud to generate over 300 new jobs, contributing to economic growth and innovation of the region.
In their Boulder, Colorado US facility, both expansions to existing lines and the construction of a new greenfield production area have already begun in parallel to the Switzerland initiative. The expansion will more than double the existing SPPS reactor capacity at CordenPharma Colorado by adding an additional 25,000 L of SPPS capacity – making it a total reactor capacity of >42,000 L by 2028.
Once fully operational, the Switzerland site - together with the ongoing expansions and additional greenfield capacity at CordenPharma Colorado - will significantly enhance the company's production capabilities, solidifying CordenPharma's position as one of the largest peptide manufacturing partners leading the CDMO peptide space.
Dr. Michael Quirmbach, President & CEO of CordenPharma Group comments: "We are excited to announce the construction of a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant just outside Basel, Switzerland, within one of the leading pharma and biotech hubs in Europe. The new facility is designed to deliver flexible and efficient peptide manufacturing to meet the growing demand of innovative peptide medicines for our customers and ultimately, patients."
Judith Charpentier, Co-Head Flagship Fund and Head of Healthcare at Astorg comments: "CordenPharma's bold expansion reflects its leadership in addressing the growing demand for peptide manufacturing. As a long-term investor, we are fully committed to supporting this growth, combining industrial excellence with strategic investment to strengthen CordenPharma's position as a leading global CDMO. Ultimately, this expansion contributes to expanding access to those life-saving peptide-based medicines for patients."
CordenPharma was acquired by Astorg, a leading Pan-European private equity firm, in 2022 to accelerate its development plans. With Astorg's backing and these expansions, CordenPharma is well-positioned to execute its growth strategy and further strengthen its leadership in the CDMO peptide space.
About CordenPharma
CordenPharma is a CDMO partner supporting biotech and pharma innovators of complex modalities in the advancement of their drug development lifecycle. Harnessing the collective expertise of the teams across its globally integrated facility network, CordenPharma provides bespoke outsourcing services spanning the complete supply chain, from early clinical-phase development to commercialization.
With scientific expertise and partnership at its core, CordenPharma provides customers high-value, end-to-end services with a strategic focus on Peptides, Oligonucleotides, customized Lipid Excipients, Lipid NanoParticles (LNPs), sterile Injectables, and the extensive supply of Small Molecules (both Highly Potent and Regular Potency).
The CordenPharma Group is comprised of 11 facilities across Europe and North America. In the 2024 financial year, the organization generated sales of €854 million and had over 3,000 employees.
Please visit cordenpharma.com for more information I Follow CordenPharma on LinkedIn.
About Astorg
Astorg is a leading pan-European private equity firm with over €23 billion of assets under management. Astorg works with entrepreneurs and management teams to acquire market leading global companies headquartered in Europe or the US, providing them with the strategic guidance, governance and capital they need to achieve their growth goals. Enjoying a distinct entrepreneurial culture, a long-term shareholder perspective and a lean decision-making body, Astorg has valuable industry expertise in healthcare, software and technology, business services and technology-based industrial companies. Headquartered in Luxembourg, Astorg has offices in London, Paris, New York, Frankfurt, and Milan.
For more information about Astorg: www.astorg.com | Follow Astorg on LinkedIn.
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