PCI Pharma Expands with Acquisition of Ajinomoto Althea, US CDMO

PCI Pharma Services ("PCI") – an award-winning global contract development and manufacturing company (CDMO) specializing in cutting-edge biopharma therapies – is buying a full equity interest in Ajinomoto Althea, Inc. ("Althea"), US-based sterile fill-finish CDMO and 100% subsidiary of Japan's Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Projected to be finished in May 2025, the purchase gives PCI its first-ever North American prefilled syringe and cartridge manufacturing facility – with isolator technology for these forms – and high potent manufacturing capacity that is suitable for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).

Althea’s robust clinical- and commercial-stage services for injectable drug products augments PCI’s deep industry experience, aligning with the company’s global sterile fill-finish capabilities and established expertise in advanced drug delivery. In addition, Althea’s substantial knowledge base, skillsets and capacity in scalable, custom oligonucleotides and peptides complements PCI’s existing manufacturing capabilities in complex formulations and lyophilization across a broad range of injectables – including nanoparticles, mRNA, MABs, proteins, and other biologics for delivery formats such as vials, bottles, prefilled syringes and autoinjectors.

The acquisition also adds high potent vial filling with lyophilization, making PCI one of very few US-based CDMOs capable of producing the emerging oncology modality of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Building upon PCI’s legacy in high potent molecules, the strategy creates an end-to-end offering for clients via specialized capabilities across the globe, and broadens its biologics development and manufacturing leadership.

For PCI’s advanced drug delivery systems and drug-device combination business, Althea’s assets supplement PCI’s leadership position in final device assembly and packaging facilities in both Europe and North America. Acquiring Althea’s San Diego campus also makes PCI one of the largest manufacturing centers in the US West Coast’s biopharma stronghold and is a natural extension of PCI’s current clinical trial services and early phase robotic sterile fill-finish capabilities, creating a scalable, flexible manufacturing complex with advanced facilities within minutes of each other.