Piramal spends £55m to bolster its UK manufacturing presence

Artists rendering of the Piramal Pharma Solutions Grangemouth site expansion in Scotland

The investment covers two expansions to accommodate several pipeline products moving to commercial scale

The company has said it will be expanding antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) capabilities at Grangemouth and upgrading the API infrastructure at Morpeth.

Not only will this investment enhance Piramal's s drug development and manufacturing capabilities in the UK, it will also increase new employment opportunities for technical and operational staff.

Specifically, two new ADC manufacturing suites, which the company expects will be up and running by Q3 2023, will be added to the existing three to significantly expand Piramal's ADC capacity at this site.

The building has been designed to accommodate further expansion, with planned future phases that include a new sterile fill/finish suite dedicated to ADCs and two additional large-scale manufacturing suites capable of handling increased batch sizes.

The company says it is also constructing a new customer experience center for clients who are visiting the site during development and/or manufacturing activities. Ground preparation and piling works are alreadt well under way.

The new facility will be fully supported by analytical laboratories (QC, cell-based assay and ELISA, GMP), warehousing, and administrative offices, all housed in a purpose-built facility.

Piramal Pharma Solutions' CEO Peter DeYoung cited demand for commercial ADCs as well as a "strong pipeline for clinical materials" as the main drivers behind doubling the company's ADC production capacity at Grangemouth.

The price tag for the Grangemouth expansion, which is being built on a 5-acre brownfield plot less than 100 m from the existing site, accounts for £45 million, including £2.4-million grant from Scottish Enterprise, Scotland's national economic development agency, as well as client co-funding.

The approximately £10 million investment in API capabilities at the company's Morpeth site, will include new equipment, infrastructure, and utility systems to meet increased market demand from global API customers.

At the same time, by replacing obsolete equipment with new, energy-efficient alternatives, Piramal will also improve its carbon footprint.