PHILADELPHIA, PA —PCI Pharma Services announced plans to acquire Ajinomoto Althea, Inc., a San Diego-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in sterile fill-finish services. The significant move, expected to close in May 2025, will establish PCI’s first North American manufacturing site for prefilled syringes and cartridges, including cutting-edge isolator technology for these drug delivery formats.
The acquisition significantly bolsters PCI’s global sterile fill-finish capabilities. Althea’s expertise in manufacturing injectable drug products—including oligonucleotides, peptides, and advanced biologics such as nanoparticles, mRNA, and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs)—aligns with PCI’s focus on innovative drug delivery systems. The deal also adds high potent vial filling with lyophilization to PCI’s portfolio, positioning the company as one of the few U.S.-based CDMOs equipped to produce emerging oncology treatments like ADCs.
“With this acquisition, PCI expands our capabilities to support several therapeutic and drug delivery modalities, including the emerging ADC marketplace,” said Salim Haffar, CEO of PCI Pharma Services. “Welcoming Althea into the PCI family strengthens our end-to-end solutions and underscores our commitment to bringing life-changing therapies to patients.”
Althea’s state-of-the-art San Diego facilities will integrate seamlessly into PCI’s existing operations. The addition enhances PCI’s ability to produce complex formulations across various injectable delivery systems, including vials, prefilled syringes, and autoinjectors. With this acquisition, PCI becomes one of the largest manufacturing hubs on the U.S. West Coast, located in a leading biopharma region, and gains a scalable production site designed to meet growing industry demand.
This acquisition also complements PCI’s leadership in advanced drug-device combination systems and its strong presence in Europe and North America. The new capabilities reflect PCI’s long-term strategy of expanding its footprint in biologics and high potent drug manufacturing, further establishing itself as a top-tier partner for both clinical and commercial drug production globally.
PCI Pharma Services’ investment signals its resolve to meet the increasing complexities of biopharma manufacturing and demonstrates its commitment to serving clients and patients worldwide. By adding Althea’s expertise and infrastructure, PCI is poised to play a more significant role in the development of innovative therapies.
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