CordenPharma has shared significant progress on its growth initiatives with a >EUR 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 EUR 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.

This >EUR 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 the 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 commented, "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 commented, "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.