Vetter, has divulged its plans to move and expand its Development Services site from Skokie, Illinois to Des Plaines, further enhancing its US footprint.
Simultaneously, the company plans additional investment in its commercial business in the state of Saarland, located in the south west of Germany, which borders France and Luxembourg.
This will complement its growth and capacity expansions in Ravensburg and Langenargen, which are currently under construction.
The additional capacity will offer future customers in the injectable industry a better service from Vetter, which comes at a good time; as an increasing number of companies are outsourcing development, manufacturing, assembly and packaging needs to CDMOs.
“As an independent and family-owned company, we prioritise thoughtful and strategic planning to support our long-term business growth,” shared Chairman of the Advisory Board, Udo J. Vetter. “With these investments we reaffirm our commitment on both continents and enable that Vetter Pharma will continue to be part of a growing market in the future.”
Building on existing investments
A few years ago, Vetter made a strategic investment by acquiring the Des Plaines site. The recent decision by the Advisory Board will elevate Vetter Development Services to a new level, driven by growing customer needs at the current Skokie site, as well as at the company’s clinical manufacturing site in Rankweil, Austria.
This development plan involves a construction project at the Des Plaines site, as well as the relocation and expansion of Vetter Development Services US from the Illinois Science and Technology Park during the next few years.
New buildings for clinical manufacturing and related services will be constructed, meaning the move will effectively double the capacity of Vetter Development Services in the US, providing sufficient space for future expansion opportunities.
Commercial expansion plans
Vetter executives have been given the approval to exercise an additional commercial production site in Saarlouis, Saarland. This decision aligns with the recently approved ‘German Pharmaceutical Strategy‘ and the significant growth of investments in research and production facilities in Germany by leading pharmaceutical companies.
Another factor for this decision is the experience Vetter has with production building projects in Germany, which will enhance the predictability of construction costs and planning time.
In addition, this experience supports immediate access to an existing network of suppliers and the use of the company’s internal infrastructure.
Managing Director of Vetter, Thomas Otto stated: “After careful consideration, Germany — and Saarland in particular — seems to be the location with the best-fitting conditions for expanding our commercial operations. In addition to the existing and growing competencies and capacities at and around our sites in Ravensburg, we will be able to further expand our range of services. We are taking responsibility for patients and customers worldwide who rely on our high level of quality.”
Increasing the supply of life-saving injectables
Vetter is also expanding its capacity for handling complex injectables. These expansions are part of the CDMO's comprehensive, sustainable and long-term plan to position the company for future growth in serving drug product development, aseptic injectable filling, device assembly and packaging.
