The French company – a subsidiary of Aenova Holding in Paehl, Germany – has inked a lease on the EMEA and FDA certified facility.
Now the group will produce complex tablet products at the plant in Lyon, not only for the European market but also the US – something previously unavailable to them.
CEO of Aenova Heiner Hoppmann told Outsourcing-Pharma: “Ten per cent of Aenova’s total net sales are already in the US market.
“Currently we are only a soft gel capsules supplier in US and with this step we can offer our US customers the full portfolio of products and services.
“At the moment we don’t have sufficient in-house capacities to meet the demands of our customers and their time limits. The transaction is a big step forward to add substantial new capacities, and quickly.
“We hope by this that Aenova will strengthen its market position as leading manufacturer of solid dosage forms in Europe.”
Down to details
As for the specific type of product produced at the plant, Aenova has several plots in the pipeline.
The firm has set its sights largely on extended release tablets, but also plans to produce standard delivery medication, as well as continuing to make drugs for existing clients at SkyePharma.
Hoppmann said: “We will focus on hard to make products like extended release tablets but will manufacture normal tablets, too. There are short term free capacities available at the site.
“And the basis of the arrangement is that there are no changes at all for SkyePharma customer contracts.”
Aenova also plan to branch out into packaging, according to Hoppmann, by re-starting the facility’s packaging department then installing a high capacity pellets facility.
The plan
Hoppmann told Outsourcing-Pharma that Aenova already have customers in place through the new facility, which will work as a CMO (contract manufacturing organisation).
However due to legalities he refused to name them.
He said: “Our strategy is to work as a CMO or to develop projects for customers including supply agreements, but we have some customers which ask for shared development projects including profit share.
Keen to establish the firm as a solid CMO, he added: “We have no future plans to sell products under own brand because we do not want to compete with our customers.”