The contract manufacturing organisation (CMO) cited – wait for it – increasing demand as the driver for the $35m (€26m) investment, explaining that customers are seeking extra capacity to make more complex oral solid dosage forms.
The CMO's Catalent Pharma Solutions division began work on the expansion in 2013 telling us at the time it would be a hub for controlled release technologies and drugs that use its Zydis fast dissolve formulation product. The firm also predicted the extra space would create 90 jobs.
It now says the expansion will create as many as 140 new jobs.
In a statement CEO John Chiminski said: “Our latest capacity expansion allows us to manufacture substantial marketed products for both new and existing customers.”
Modified-release
Catalent has won several new contracts for the Winchester site during the expansion. In September 2013, the firm was named as supplier of delayed release technology for a new formulation of Supernus Pharmaceuticals epilepsy treatment, Trokendi XR (topiramate).
The deal saw Catalent use the Winchester site to make a replacement for Supernus’ Microcontrol XR technology that was originally used to develop pre-commercial formulation of the drug.
The following year US drugmaker Merck & Co – known as MSD elsewhere - contracted Catalent to produce formulations of its Ragwitek hay fever treatment and Grastek pollen-induced allergic rhinitis drug at the site.
Clinical batches of both Merck & Co drugs had been produced by Catalent at its facility in Swindon, UK.
The expanded Winchester facility was also the site of Catalent’s 2012 collaboration with Bend Research, a formulation services firm that has since been acquired by Capsugel.
Catalent did not respond to a request for additional information ahead of publication.