It’s just business: Manufacturing moves from Avantor, Cambrex, and Bristol Myers Squibb

Manufacturing makes all the products around us, including those that keep us healthy, or heal us when we’re sick. That’s why pharmaceutical manufacturing is big business, and that big business is why lots of pharmaceutical manufacturers are buying up competitors, forming strategic partnerships, and expanding their investments. Read on for a digest of acquisitions, partnerships, and expansions in the U.S. pharmaceutical space.

Acquisition: Bristol Myers Squibb, a pharmaceutical company, announced October 10 it had agreed to purchase Orbital Therapeutics for $1.5 billion. The purchased company, according to a joint statement, is researching genetic medicines that target autoimmune disorders using RNA, also known as chimeric antigen receptor t-cell (CAR-T) therapy. In a statement, Lynelle Hoch, President of BMS’ Cell Therapy division, said the acquisition could make the novel therapy more accessible to patients.

Partnership: Avantor Inc., a biotechnology research company, announced October 15 it would partner with BlueWhale Bio, a pharmaceutical startup working in similar immune cell therapy as Orbital Therapeutics, including CAR-T therapy. In a statement, Avantor CEO Emmanuel Ligner said the new partnership had the potential to dramatically improve cancer care by addressing a manufacturing bottleneck for CAR-T therapy.

Partnership: Another partnership, announced October 23, will see Avantor collaborate with the P-Chip Corporation, a biotechnology company behind microtransponders the size of a grain of salt, for use in medicine and food sciences. According to Corey Walker, President of Laboratory Solutions at Avantor, the partnership has implications for Avantor’s ambitions in personalized medicine.

Expansion: Ulbrich Specialty Wire Products announced October 23 it would spend $5 million to create 15 new jobs in Westminster, South Carolina, by updating the machinery and equipment in its wire factory there. In a statement, Ulbrich’s General Manager of Operations Daniel Day said the strategic investment makes $25 million in total investments since the company bought the location in 2001.

Expansion: Cambrex, a contract manufacturer for drug substances and products, announced October 22 it would spend $120 million to expand its U.S. operations in Charles City, Iowa, by 40%. Cambrex CEO Thomas Loewald, in a statement, said the move was driven by pharmaceutical clients reshoring operations to the United States. “We’re seeing a very strong demand from our customers to utilize this expanded capacity,” Loewald said.