CordenPharma, a Germany-based end-to-end pharmaceutical services company, aims to propel its peptide platform business beyond the €1 billion sales milestone by 2028.
This ambitious investment reinforces CordenPharma’s status as a market leader in the integrated supply of small to large-scale services, spanning APIs to Drug Products, for both Injectable and Oral Peptides.
As part of this expansion, CordenPharma has finalised plans to establish a state-of-the-art peptide manufacturing facility in Switzerland.
The facility is specifically located at Getec Park in Muttenz, just 8 km from Basel, one of Europe’s foremost biotech and pharmaceutical hubs. The plant will provide a crucial boost to peptide production.
The plant will provide a crucial boost to peptide production
The site was selected due to several strategic advantages, including the following:
- 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.
CordenPharma is also committing over €500 million to the Switzerland plant, which will host multiple manufacturing lines to support small, medium, and large-scale peptide production.
The facility will feature 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 exceeding 5,000 litres.
Advanced automation, cutting-edge digitalisation, and innovative peptide production technologies will ensure compliance with the most stringent regulatory standards, including BLA requirements.
The facility will feature small- to large-scale Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis reactors for GLP-1 and non-GLP-1 peptide projects
The construction and qualification phase is set for 2025-2027, with commercial operations commencing in the first half of 2028.
The initiative is expected to generate over 300 new jobs, contributing significantly to regional economic growth and innovation.
CordenPharma is also scaling up its operations in Boulder, Colorado, where expansions to existing production lines and the construction of a new greenfield facility are already underway.
This initiative will more than double the existing SPPS reactor capacity at CordenPharma Colorado, adding 25,000 litres of SPPS capacity and bringing the total reactor volume to over 42,000 litres by 2028.
The construction and qualification phase is set for 2025-2027
Once fully operational, the new Switzerland site, alongside the expanded facilities in Colorado, will substantially enhance CordenPharma’s production capabilities.
These developments will cement the company’s position as one of the world’s leading peptide manufacturing partners in the CDMO space.
Dr Michael Quirmbach, President & CEO of CordenPharma Group, said: “We are excited to announce the construction of a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant just outside Basel, Switzerland, within one of Europe’s leading pharma and biotech hubs. This facility is designed to deliver flexible and efficient peptide manufacturing to meet the growing demand for innovative peptide medicines for our customers and, ultimately, patients.”
CordenPharma is also committing over €500 million to the Switzerland plant
Judith Charpentier, Co-Head Flagship Fund and Head of Healthcare at Astorg, added: “CordenPharma’s bold expansion reflects its leadership in addressing the rising demand for peptide manufacturing. As a long-term investor, we are fully committed to supporting this growth, combining industrial excellence with strategic investment to reinforce CordenPharma’s position as a top global CDMO. Ultimately, this expansion contributes to improving access to life-saving peptide-based medicines.”
CordenPharma was acquired by Astorg, a leading Pan-European private equity firm, in 2022 to accelerate its development plans. With Astorg’s support, the company is well-positioned to execute its ambitious growth strategy and strengthen its leadership in peptide manufacturing.