Cambrex Invests $120 Million to Expand US API Manufacturing
Cambrex announced a $120 million investment to expand its API manufacturing capacity at its Charles City, Iowa, facility by 40%, strengthening US drug supply chain resilience and supporting growth in the peptide therapeutics market.
Cambrex, a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), announced a $120 million investment to expand its US operations, addressing increased demand for API development and manufacturing, and accelerating the company’s leadership role in the fast-growing peptide therapeutics market.
“Our customers, in partnership with federal and state agencies, are reshoring drug manufacturing in the US, the world’s largest pharmaceutical market. Local API production is vital for supply chain security and resilience, and Cambrex will play a key role. We are seeing very strong demand from our customers to partner with Cambrex to utilize this expanded capacity,” commented Thomas Loewald, CEO of Cambrex.
The $120 million investment will support a 40% increase in the Charles City, Iowa site’s large-scale manufacturing capacity, reaching nearly one million liters. The Charles City facility, situated on a 45-acre site, manufactures a broad range of APIs and pharmaceutical intermediates, including highly potent molecules and controlled substances.
“With rising demand for US-based supply chains for critical therapies, Cambrex is focused on supporting the long-term stability of pharmaceutical manufacturing in the United States,” Loewald added. “The investment in our Charles City facility, the nation’s largest independent API manufacturing site, reflects our commitment to meeting clients’ evolving needs for small molecule and peptide manufacturing.”
The commitment builds on Cambrex’s heritage of investing in its drug development and manufacturing network, and follows previous expansions over the past five years, including:
- The addition of a highly potent API and large-scale manufacturing capacity in Charles City, Iowa. (2022)
- New, state-of-the-art laboratories, clinical and small-to-medium volume commercial manufacturing capacity, designed for commercial therapies targeting rare diseases and orphan designations, in High Point, North Carolina. (2023)
- Expanded capabilities and new GMP manufacturing capacity for peptide therapeutics in Waltham, Massachusetts. (2025)
Cambrex’s continued investments underscore its commitment to adding capabilities and increasing capacity to meet the evolving needs and growing demand of the pharmaceutical industry.
