Claudio Russolo, Chief Operating Officer, Cambrex, a CDMO specializing in small-molecule development and manufacturing, outlined the company’s expansion plan at the DCAT Member Company Announcement Forum, held March 23, 2026, at DCAT Week.

A cornerstone of Cambrex’s investment strategy is a more than $130-million expansion at its Charles City, Iowa facility. The project will add a new plant with 140,000 liters of capacity, including large-scale (16,000-L) and mid-scale (4,000-L) reactors, as well as advanced Hastelloy agitated filter dryers. The expansion will also enhance an existing large-scale manufacturing suite.

Groundbreaking is scheduled for 2026, with manufacturing operations expected to begin in the second half of 2028. Upon completion, the Charles City site will see a 20% increase in large-scale manufacturing capacity, reaching nearly one million liters, which is designed to support projects with complex chemistry, including controlled substances, highly potent active pharmaceutical ingredient, and commercial-scale liquid-phase peptide manufacturing.

In Europe, Cambrex is investing $30 million to expand its R&D laboratory footprint and enhance production capabilities at its Milan, Italy, site. The project will add new analytical development, quality control, and process R&D capabilities, as well as upgrades to multiple existing production plants. The R&D expansion is expected to be completed in the second half of 2027, and the acquisition of approximately 11,000 square meters of land will provide space for future growth beyond these initial investments.

Cambrex’s focus on complex chemistry is driven by the needs of its clients, with 80% of customer molecules requiring advanced chemical expertise. To meet this demand, Cambrex recently completed an expansion at its Waltham, Massachusetts, facility, increasing the site’s footprint by 20%. The Waltham site now offers enhanced capacity for peptide and oligonucleotide development, supporting GMP manufacturing through solid-phase, liquid-phase, or hybrid synthesis approaches. The facility also features an ISO-7 cleanroom for preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) chromatography and lyophilization, as well as expanded cold storage for raw materials and finished products.