Cambrex today announced that it is expanding its mid-scale and large-scale API manufacturing capacity in Charles City, Iowa. The $50+ million investment is designed to meet the continually growing demand for small molecule drug substance development and manufacturing. It will be the sixth major investment that Cambrex has made at the site in the past eight years to support customers in mid-scale, large-scale and highly potent small molecule API manufacturing.

The expansion, which will be operational in early 2022, will add 3 large-scale manufacturing work centers and 1 mid-scale work center to the facility in Iowa, increasing the site’s capacity by 30 percent. When completed, the Charles City site will employ more than 400 people.

“Small molecule manufacturing demand has been growing consistently over recent years, and this investment will enable Cambrex to continue to capitalize on this growth, further strengthening our position as a market-leading CDMO,” commented Joe Nettleton, President of Cambrex’s Drug Substance Business Unit. He added, “This expansion in the U.S. for API manufacturing capacity comes at a time when our customers increasingly require high-quality partners to ensure reliable supply chains within the pharmaceutical sector.”

Cambrex’s Charles City facility is located on a 45-acre site, and as part of the company’s Drug Substance business unit, manufactures a wide range of APIs and pharmaceutical intermediates, including highly potent molecules and controlled substances.

In 2019, Cambrex was acquired by funds advised by Permira, a global investment firm, to continue to build upon Cambrex’s market leading position in API development and manufacturing and support the growth of its integrated service offering across the pharmaceutical value chain.