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Supplier News: SK pharmteco, Esteve CDMO, Vetter & More 

The latest from CDMOs, CMOs, and suppliers featuring SK pharmteco, Esteve CDMO, Vetter, Sharp Services, Piramal Pharma Solutions, SPI Pharma, Colorcon, Lonza, and Bespak.  

Chemicals/Chemical API Manufacturing 
* SK pharmteco To Invest $200 M in US Small-Molecule & Peptide Mfg
* Esteve CDMO To Invest $17 M in US API Mfg Facility Expansion 
* Piramal Pharma Announces API Mfg Site Upgrades in US 
Formulation Development/Drug Product Manufacturing 
* Vetter Provides Update on Fill–Finish Expansions 
* SPI Pharma, Colorcon Form Strategic Pact for Oral Solid-Dose Products 
* Lonza Advances Spraying-Drying Program for Biologics
Packaging 
* Sharp Expands Autoinjector and Pen Assembly Capacity in US 
* Bespak Launches Nasal-Spray Device with Soft-Mist Technology 

Chemicals/Chemical API Manufacturing 

SK pharmteco To Invest $200 M in US Small-Molecule & Peptide Mfg 
SK pharmteco, a CDMO of small-molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), peptides, and cell and gene therapies, has announced a five-year, more than $200-million investment plan to expand and upgrade its US development and manufacturing infrastructure across small molecules and peptides.  

The announcement continues SK pharmteco’s global growth strategy, complementing the company’s recent $6-million investment in its California facility to boost peptide development, the opening of two advanced manufacturing facilities at its Ireland campus to scale up the site’s capability to produce both large-scale commercial small molecules and ultra-high-potency active pharmaceutical ingredients (HPAPIs), and its $260-million capacity expansion in South Korea to expand global small-molecule and peptide production.  

As part of this US-based capital investment plan, SK pharmteco will make targeted investments across key technology platforms, including:  

  • Development Labs: Launching new, fully operational development laboratories to accelerate early- through late-stage development for small molecules and peptides.  
  • Advanced Peptide Purification: Expanding peptide manufacturing with new GMP kilo-scale capacity (scheduled to be operational in late 2026) alongside advanced liquid chromatography capabilities.   
  • Expanded & Upgraded Manufacturing: Constructing new manufacturing suites and modernizing existing GMP capacity for small-molecule APIs.  
  • Infrastructure & Sustainability: Investing in utility upgrades, logistics, and digital infrastructures, and green technology 

Source: SK pharmteco 

Esteve CDMO To Invest $17 M in US API Mfg Facility Expansion  
Esteve CDMO, a CDMO specializing in the development and manufacture of small-molecule APIs and pharmaceutical intermediates, has announced an additional $17.5-million capacity expansion and containment capabilities at its Morton Grove, Illinois, facility to bring total announced investment at the site to $33 million. Esteve acquired the Morton Grove facility from its acquisition of the CDMO, Regis Technologies, in 2025.  

The new $17.5-million investment, in addition to the $15.5 million program announced earlier in 2026, includes two new 500-gallon reactors, enhanced containment capabilities in early-stage development laboratories, and a warehouse revamp. 

Source: Esteve CDMO 

Piramal Pharma Announces API Mfg Site Upgrades 
Piramal Pharma Solutions, a CDMO of small-molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and drug products, has announced that its Aurora, Canada, drug-substance site has received a $1.7-million investment from the Ontario government through the Life Sciences Scale-Up Fund, an Ontario government grant program providing financial support for small and medium-sized companies to scale up operations in the life sciences. 

With support from the government of Ontario, Piramal Pharma is investing a total of $5.3 million to upgrade site infrastructure at its Aurora facility. This project will enhance R&D and clinical API production. 

Source: Piramal Pharma Solutions 

Formulation Development/Drug Product Manufacturing 

Vetter Provides Update on Fill-Finish Expansion 
Vetter has announced an update to its commercial fill-and-finish expansion. The company’s long-term investment program includes the addition of ten more commercial filling lines. 

Seven of the ten planned manufacturing lines are being implemented across Vetter’s existing sites. This phased rollout will make additional manufacturing resources available over the coming years (as reported on September 28, 2026). The first new line, designed to fill pre-sterilized syringes, recently became operational, and a second line is expected to follow by the end of 2026. Another five lines for aseptic production are planned through 2028. Looking ahead, the final three lines are planned for Vetter’s new commercial site in Saarlouis, Germany, which is expected to become operational by 2031. 

Source: Vetter 

SPI Pharma, Colorcon Form Strategic Pact for Oral Solid-Dose Products 
SPI Pharma, a provider of pharmaceutical excipients, antacid actives, and drug-delivery technologies, and Colorcon, a provider of film coatings, excipients, modified-release technologies, and controlled-atmosphere packaging, have formed a strategic global partnership for oral solid-dose products.  

The collaboration brings together SPI Pharma’s differentiated portfolio of drug-delivery systems and Colorcon’s expertise in solid oral dose development and commercial reach to deliver enhanced support for pharmaceutical formulators worldwide. 

Through this partnership, Colorcon will serve as SPI Pharma’s global distribution and innovation partner for SPI’s drug-delivery systems portfolio, including for dosage formats such as chewable tablets, sachet/stick packs, orally disintegrating tablets, and powders.  

Source: Colorcon 

Lonza Advances Spraying-Drying Program for Biologics 
Lonza is advancing a preclinical aseptic spray-drying program at is site in Bend, Oregon, to address biologics development challenges, including stability, dose concentration, pharmacokinetics, and manufacturability. The initiative builds on successful proof-of-concept work in formulation and spray drying of a range of monoclonal antibodies and conjugates at high concentration.  

Source: Lonza 

Bespak Launches Nasal-Spray Device with Soft-Mist Technology 
Bespak, a CDMO on inhaled and nasal drug-delivery products and services, has launched NasaDose Ultra Soft Unit Dose Spray, a device that combines Bespak’s NasaDose unit-dose platform with proprietary soft mist technology from its joint venture, Resyca. The launch follows a recently announced collaboration with Upperton, a specialist formulation development CDMO, for the development and manufacture of nasal drug-device combination products using Bespak’s expanded proprietary device portfolio. The new combined offering will support liquid, soft-mist and dry-powder formulations across Bespak’s newly expanded proprietary single and multi-dose nasal device portfolio. 

Source: Bespak 

Packaging 

Sharp Expands Autoinjector and Pen Assembly Capacity in US 
Sharp Services, a provider of contract packaging, clinical supply services, and small-scale sterile manufacturing, has announced progress on the expansion of its autoinjector and pen assembly network. Building on its previously announced $20-million investment, Sharp is adding assembly capacity to support injectable programs as well as additional 2-8°C temperature-controlled storage from development through commercialization. 

At Sharp’s Macungie, Pennsylvania facility, a low-speed assembly line capable of two autoinjectors or pen devices per minute is expected to be operational by the first quarter of 2027, followed by a 50 autoinjectors-per-minute mid-speed line by the first quarter of 2028 as commercial programs scale. The site has also added two temperature-controlled storage units providing more than 4,400 additional pallet locations for sensitive biotech drug products, with occupancy anticipated in the fourth quarter of 2026. 

To support autoinjector and pen programs across all stages of clinical development through low-volume commercial supply, particularly for rare disease and orphan drugs, Sharp is adding a low-speed assembly line dedicated to these projects at its Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, facility. This line will assemble up to two autoinjector or pen devices per minute and is expected online in the first quarter of 2027. The company has also recently completed its Bethlehem site 2-8°C and -20°C cold-room expansion, which has doubled storage capacity and added an additional 2-8°C packaging suite.   

Sharp is also expanding its capabilities in Belgium with new assembly equipment ranging from two devices per minute up to 100 devices per minute, along with functional testing, and a new fully automatic 2-8°C warehouse. 

Source: Sharp Services