Investing in capabilities for evolving customer needs

Demand is growing across several areas of pharmaceutical manufacturing, including biologics, advanced therapies, sterile manufacturing and specialised oral solid dose (OSD) capabilities. 

For pharmaceutical companies, access to the right capabilities and capacity is an important consideration when selecting a development and manufacturing partner. Increasingly, customers are also making use of multiple sites across the same network, rather than working with a single location. 

Building capacity across the network 

Recent investments across our network are expanding capabilities in several areas. In Spain, high-potency OSD capabilities have been expanded with clinical and pilot-scale production, including GMP pilot-scale capacity at Leganés. In the US, investment in sterile fill-finish is supporting growing demand for biologics and advanced therapies. A new blow-fill-seal (BFS) manufacturing line is also expanding sterile drug product capacity.  

But individual technologies are only part of the picture. CEO Greg Behar told Pharma Manufacturing that customers previously focused on a single site are now moving to two, three or four sites across the network. He also highlighted strong interest in the two Boston-area sites, alongside increasing interest in European capabilities, including OSD.  

Continued investment is being supported by a stronger financial platform. Recent refinancing has extended the company’s debt maturity profile by seven years, giving greater capacity to invest in sites, technologies and people.  

Alongside this, the headquarters has moved from Sweden to Baar, Switzerland, closer to the pharmaceutical hubs of Basel and Zurich. Greg Behar highlighted the concentration of customers and talent in the area as part of the rationale for the move. 

Together, these developments reflect continued investment across the network, from people and infrastructure to manufacturing technologies and capacity. 

Read the interview to learn more about the developments taking place across our global network 

Greg Behar, CEO, discusses recent investments, customer interest across the network and the outlook for Recipharm with Pharma Manufacturing: