Supplier News: Lonza, Evonik, Hovione, Catalent & More
The latest from CDMOs, CMOs, and suppliers featuring Evonik, Hovione, Samsung Biologics, Catalent, Celonic Group, Lonza, Artis BioSolutions and Barentz.
Biologics Manufacturing
* Artis BioSolutions Opens Genetic Center of Excellence
Formulation Development/Drug Product Manufacturing
* Evonik Investing $108 M in Lipid Mfg Facility Expansion
* Hovione Completes $46-M Tablet Mfg Facility Expansion
Appointments
* Lonza Names Celonic CEO as New Chief Commercial Officer
* Barentz Appoints Global Vice President, Pharmaceuticals
General
* Samsung Biologics Announces $2.1-Bn Rights Offering
* Catalent Completes Refinancing
Biologics Manufacturing
Artis BioSolutions Opens Genetic Center of Excellence
Artis BioSolutions, a CDMO focused on the production of genetic medicines, has announced the launch of its Genetic Medicines Center of Excellence in Bilbao, Spain. The center provides an end-to-end development and manufacturing platform spanning synthetic DNA, mRNA drug-substance manufacturing, lipid nanoparticle formulation and manufacturing services, and GMP drug-product manufacturing.
Source: Artis BioSolutions
Formulation Development/Drug Product Manufacturing
Evonik Investing $108 M in Lipid Mfg Facility Expansion
Evonik is investing in a new GMP drug-product manufacturing facility for lipid-based drug delivery in Vancouver, Canada, with a total investment of over Can$150 million (US$108 million). Drug-product production is planned to begin at the end of 2029.
The project will expand Evonik’s existing manufacturing capabilities through the establishment of a new GMP facility with more than three times the manufacturing capacity of the current facility. The new facility will also advance quality control and microbiological testing capabilities.
The Can$150 million (US$108 million) investment is supported by the Canadian federal government’s Strategic Response Fund with up to Can$68 million (US$49 million) in funding.
Source: Evonik
Hovione Completes $46-M Tablet Mfg Facility Expansion
Hovione, a CDMO of drug substances and drug products, has completed an expansion of its tablet development and manufacturing center at its main global campus in Loures, Portugal, adding 25% more commercial-scale batch tableting capacity for oral solid dosage products. The expansion strengthens integrated manufacture of amorphous solid dispersions by spray drying and tableting at a single site. The recently inaugurated expansion completes an investment cycle of more than EUR 40 million ($46 million).
Hovione expanded its batch tableting capacity by adding an additional line mirroring the original unit across every local operation: dispensing, blending, dry granulation, tableting, and film coating. The mirrored configuration reinforces capacity at the 300 kg to 400 kg batch scale and provides both redundancy and like-for-like product transfers between lines. Supporting areas, including in-process control and staging space sized to the increased production capacity, were also added as part of the expansion.
Source: Hovione
Appointments
Lonza Names Celonic CEO as New Chief Commercial Officer
Lonza has announced the appointment of Dr. Samanta Cimitan, currently CEO of Celonic Group, a Basel, Switzerland-based CDMO of biologics, as Chief Commercial Officer, Senior Vice President, and Member of the Extended Executive Committee. Cimitan will join Lonza by January 1, 2027. In this newly created role, Cimitan will lead strategic enterprise account management, global marketing, and commercial excellence.
Cimitan has been with Celonic for more than four years, including more than three years as CEO. Prior to Celonic, she spent almost 13 years at Lonza in commercial and strategy leadership roles, including as Vice President of Lonza Group Operations Strategy, where she developed and led transformation programs spanning Commercial, R&D and Operations.
Source: Lonza and Celonic Group
Barentz Appoints New Global Vice President, Pharmaceuticals
Barentz, a specialty ingredients and chemicals distributor, has announced the appointment of Matt Mitchell, currently Interim Head of the company’s Pharmaceuticals Division, as Global Vice President, Pharmaceuticals. He will remain a member of Barentz’s Executive Leadership Team.
Mitchell has served as Interim Head of the company’s Pharmaceuticals Division since March 2026 and has successfully led the business through a period of continued growth and strategic execution. He has more than 25 years of experience in the specialty ingredients industry, including extensive expertise in pharmaceuticals gained during leadership roles in IFF Pharma Solutions, DuPont, and FMC.
Source: Barentz
General
Samsung Biologics Announces $2.1-Bn Rights Offering
Samsung Biologics has announced a rights offering to raise an expected aggregate amount of KRW 3 trillion ($2.2 billion) to fund investments in the company’s three-dimensional, long-term growth strategy across capacity, portfolio, and geographic expansion.
The company plans to allocate approximately KRW 2.71 trillion ($2 billion) of the offering proceeds toward the planned acquisition of PolyPeptide Group, with the remaining approximately KRW 290 billion ($214 million) designated for the expansion of Bio Campus II, the company’s second biomanufacturing campus in South Korea.
Source: Samsung Biologics
Catalent Completes Refinancing
Catalent has completed a refinancing transaction that includes a new $4.1-billion equivalent seven-year Term Loan B facility and a $600-million revolving credit facility, replacing the company’s existing Term Loan B. The refinancing is expected to reduce Catalent’s annual interest expense by approximately $100 million.
Catalent’s new $600-million revolving credit facility is supported by a syndicate of 10 global institutional banks, broadening the company’s banking relationships and strengthening access to capital. Following completion of the transaction, Catalent has approximately $1.1 billion of available liquidity, including cash on hand and access to its revolving credit facility.
Source: Catalent
