Cambrex announced it is investing $3.6 million at its Karlskoga, Sweden facility to increase flexible drug substance manufacturing capacity. The work, which will convert a previously customer-dedicated manufacturing train, will include an additional production line at 6 m³ scale being added at the site. This will result in a 25 percent capacity increase at the facility.
Engineering work has already commenced at the facility and is expected to be completed by November 2020. The work involves modification of an existing 4 reactor configuration and the installation of new holding tanks and a 4 m2 Hastelloy Rosemund filter.
“We are seeing continued growth in commercial-scale API manufacturing, and an ongoing trend for customers favoring high-quality European and US partners, so we must ensure capacity is both flexible and available to be in a position to react quickly and effectively to customers’ changing requirements,” said Bjarne Sandberg, Managing Director, Cambrex Karlskoga. “This investment, as with others made by Cambrex across our global network, is in line with the company strategy of ensuring that the assets we can offer customers allow for the most cost-effective and efficient manufacturing.”
Cambrex’s site in Karlskoga employs over 400 people and features a wide range of flexible manufacturing facilities, including 4 cGMP pilot plants and 5 full-scale commercial production units. In 2019, a new 600 m2 process and analytical development facility was added to the site, along with a 3,000 m2 logistics center.