The expansion will add a 4,000-gallon multi-use reactor train consisting of both glass-lined and stainless steel vessels, as well as a Hastelloy centrifuge to facilitate product isolation, which Grace said will greatly enhance the site’s commercial capabilities.

Once completed, the South Haven site will house three 4,000-gallon multi-use reactor trains to support the continued growth of small molecule drug production, including both custom and generic APIs, and cGMP intermediates.

“The additional capacity created through this project will enable our customers to develop critical drug therapies in areas such as oncology, diabetes, cardiovascular, and antivirals,” said Sandra Wisniewski, president, Grace Materials Technologies.

In June 2021, Grace acquired Albermarle’s fine chemical manufacturing services business as part of an expansion to support its pharmaceutical portfolio. The acquisition enabled Grace’s Materials Technologies division to triple its fine chemical footprint, while leveraging its existing chromatography resins and formulation excipients in the health and life sciences markets.

Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist