Germany’s BASF has said it plans to invest around €200 million to strengthen position in the market for the painkiller Ibuprofen market. This will entail building a new world-scale production plant at its Ludwigshafen headquarters and a capacity addition at Bishop, Texas, in the US.

The German plant due to come on stream in 2021 will be the first world-scale production facility in Europe, and BASF managing board member Markus Kamieth said it is aimed at ensuring “high supply security for its customers and meet growing global demand.”

 Kamieth said BASF will be the only supplier with two ibuprofen assets worldwide. “Both investments show our strong commitment to the pharmaceutical industry and our pharma solutions business,” added Melanie Maas-Brunner, president of BASF’s Nutrition & Health business.

BASF has been manufacturing ibuprofen at its FDA-audited, cGMP-certified production site in Bishop for more than 20 years using what it calls “an award-winning, eco-efficient production process that ensures the highest product quality level.”