Cambrex Corporation

Last updated
Cambrex Corporation
Company typePrivate
Industry Pharmaceuticals
FoundedNew Jersey (1981)
Headquarters East Rutherford, NJ
Key people
Thomas Loewald, CEO
Number of employees
2,200+
Website cambrex.com

Cambrex Corporation is a contract manufacturing organization in the pharmaceutical industry.

Contents

Cambrex has manufacturing facilities in the US (Agawam, MA; Charles City, IA; Durham, NC; High Point, NC; Longmont, CO; Waltham, MA) and Europe (Edinburgh, UK; Karlskoga, Sweden, Milan, Italy, and R&D centers in Tallinn, Estonia, Wiesbaden, Germany). The headquarters are located in East Rutherford, NJ.

History

Cambrex was founded in 1979, when the Ennis Family acquired the castor oil and derivatives product lines from NL Industries. In 1987, CasChem was renamed Cambrex Corporation and became listed on NASDAQ. In 1990, Cambrex was listed on the NYSE. Cambrex entered the pharmaceutical market in 1994 with the acquisition of Nobel Pharma Chemistry business, now known as Cambrex Karlskoga AB and Cambrex Profarmaco.

Through multiple acquisitions during the late 1990s, the firm entered the bioscience and the chiral enzymatic catalyst markets. Cambrex acquired two contract biopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in 2001, to bulk manufacture biologics and pharmaceutical ingredients from clinical to commercial scales. In 2007, the firm decided to focus on its core competencies and sold the biologics business to Lonza Group. [1]

In 2008, Prosyntest (now Cambrex Tallinn) was acquired, [2] and Steve Klosk was appointed CEO, while remaining President. [3]

To broaden their biocatalysis platform, Cambrex acquired IEP in 2010, now known as Cambrex IEP. [4]

In 2019, Cambrex acquired Avista Pharma Solutions for $252m to become a fully integrated CDMO. [5] In late 2019, Cambrex was acquired by an affiliate of the Permira funds. [6]

In 2020, Cambrex completed a major expansion at its Edinburgh, UK facility known for solid form screening [7] alongside a biopharmaceutical expansion at its Durham, NC facility. [8] Thomas Loewald was appointed CEO of Cambrex in September 2020. [9]

In 2022, Cambrex acquired Q1 Scientific, based out of Waterford, Ireland. [10]

In 2023, Cambrex acquired the Waltham-headquartered chemical process development services provider, Snapdragon Chemistry. [11]

In 2024, Cambrex expanded Q1 Scientific with new state-of-the-art, temperature-controlled and monitored, stability storage facility in Durham, North Carolina. [12]

In 2025, Cambrex sold its large-scale drug product business unit to Noramco, including its two sites in Whippany, NJ and Mirabel, Quebec. [13]

References

  1. "CDMO | News | Sale of Bio Business Completed". Cambrex. 2007-02-06. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
  2. "CDMO | News | Cambrex Signs Agreement to Acquire Prosyntest AS". Cambrex. 2008-01-07. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
  3. "CDMO | News | Steven Klosk Appointed as President and CEO". Cambrex. 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
  4. "CDMO | News | Cambrex Acquires IEP GmbH". Cambrex. 2010-03-22. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
  5. "Cambrex acquires Avista for $252m, becomes integrated CDMO". outsourcing-pharma.com. 21 November 2018. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
  6. "CDMO | News | Completed Acquisition by The Permira Funds". Cambrex. 2019-12-04. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
  7. "CDMO | News | Expansion Completed at Edinburgh Facility". Cambrex. 2020-10-12. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
  8. "CDMO | News | Biopharmaceutical Expansion at Durham, NC". Cambrex. 2020-04-07. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
  9. "CDMO | News | Announcement of Thomas Loewald as CEO". Cambrex. 2020-06-18. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
  10. "Cambrex Acquires Leading EU Stability Storage Company Q1 Scientific | News". Cambrex. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  11. "Cambrex Completes Acquisition of Snapdragon Chemistry | News". Cambrex. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  12. "Cambrex Opens Stability Storage Facility in North Carolina | News". Cambrex. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  13. "Cambrex Announces Sale of Drug Product Business Unit | News". Cambrex. Retrieved 2025-06-25.