NextPharma to acquire Norway manufacturing site from Takeda

Biopharmaceutical company Takeda and CDMO NextPharma have announced an acquisition agreement in which Takeda will divest from their Asker, Norway manufacturing site, set to be acquired by NextPharma.

The transaction is expected to be complete by March 2023 and will transfer Takeda’s approximately 170 manufacturing employees to NextPharma. As a pharmaceutical CDMO, NextPharma specialises in solids, semi-solids and non-sterile and sterile liquids, providing services for development, clinical supplies, and commercial manufacturing, among others. Speciailised CDMO services in oral and topical finished dosage forms are offered to their global pharmaceutical base. The acquisition comes as part of NextPharma’s plan to provide existing customers service delivery ad broadening the technology on offer for chewable tablets. Takeda’s divestment from its Asker manufacturing site comes as part of a shift towards its core therapeutic areas, including rare diseases, gastroenterology, neuroscience, oncology, and plasma-derived therapies and vaccines. The Asker site, acquired by Takeda in 2011, offers a portfolio of strengths and flavours of calcium and vitamin D3 chewable tablets. 

Senior VP, Head of Small Molecules Operating Unit Eduardo Montanha at Takeda commented: “We are pleased to announce the divestment of the Asker plant to NextPharma to who all of our existing Asker employees will transfer. In NextPharma, we believe we have found the most suitable owner for the site, offering a great fit for our Asker facility and team. We sincerely than the team in Asker for its work and dedication in the past years and always putting our customers and patients in the centre of what we do.” 

Peter Burema, CEO of NextPharma, added: “We are excited at the prospect of adding a world-class manufacturing site and new centre of excellence for chewable tablets to our operational network, allowing us to further broaden our technology offering for both existing and new customers. These technologies, combined with the know-how and expertise of the site’s employees, would continue to benefit patients across the world. On behalf of NextPharma, I look forward to welcoming our future colleagues and I am confident that together, we will continue to further develop and grow NextPharma as a leading and well-respected European CDMO.” 

Source: Press Release Atlantic (nextpharma.com)