Avara Pharmaceutical Services, a Norwalk, Connecticut-headquartered contract development and manufacturing organization, has acquired Sandoz’s sterile manufacturing facility for injectable medicines in Canada, as part of a continuing expansion of its global footprint.

The proposed acquisition of the sterile manufacturing facility and the adjacent development center located in Boucherville, Quebec, became effective as of September 1, 2018. This follows Avara’s acquisition of another sterile-manufacturing facility in 2017, from Pfizer in Liscate, Italy, and its 2017 acquisition of a solid-dose manufacturing facility from GlaxoSmithKline in Aiken, South Carolina. Avara also acquired a solid dosage form manufacturing, packaging, and distribution facility in Reims, France from AstraZeneca in 2017. The latest acquisition will bring the number of manufacturing and development sites operated by Avara worldwide to 10: two in Canada; three in the US (mainland), including corporate headquarters; one in Puerto Rico; one in the UK; one in Ireland; one in Italy; and one in France.

As part of the asset-purchase agreement with Sandoz, the parties signed a long-term supply contract to guarantee continuous supply of products manufactured in Boucherville. Avara says that no impact on jobs will occur, and it intends to invest in the site and pursue business development opportunities to optimize the plant’s utilization and expand its customer base.

Source: Avara Pharmaceutical Services