WuXi STA to grab foothold in Europe with planned BMS facility purchase

The Couvet facility in Switzerland

The acquisition will expand the CDMO's capabilities and capacity to serve European markets

The site is a manufacturing facility with commercial-scale production capacity for capsule and tablet dosage forms and was constructed to accommodate future growth.

The companies anticipate completing the transaction by Q2 2021, which will see WuXi STA acquire the Couvet site’s operations and assets, including the plant, equipment, and a workforce with technical capabilities and expertise.

Lou Schmukler, Executive Vice President and President, Global Product Development and Supply, BMS, described the transation as an "important step" in the "ongoing evolution" of its manufacturing network.

He did, however, highlight that Switzerland remains an important strategic location for the company, and that the company will maintain a strong presence in the Neuchâtel area.

According to Dr Minzhang Chen, CEO of WuXi STA, the acquisition will allow WuXi STA to better serve European markets and support its global customers.

Wuxi STA currently has a 45,000 square-foot facility for producing oral solid dosage forms supporting batch sizes ranging from 100 to 500,000 units in Shanghai's Waigaoqiao free trade zone. It also has two commercial plants with 1 billion tablets/year and 100 million capsules/year capacity at its site in Wuxi City.

The Couvet facility will continue to operate as part of BMS’s manufacturing network until the closing of the transaction.