Cambrex advances $120M API plant expansion in Iowa, R&D buildout in Italy

The Charles City facility will add 140,000 liters of capacity, while the company’s Milan site expansion is expected to be completed in the second half of 2027.

March 31, 2026

2 min read

Aerial view of Charles City, Iowa Cambrex manufacturing facility

Cambrex, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) headquartered in East Rutherford, New Jersey, has completed initial engineering studies for a new large-scale active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing plant in Charles City, Iowa, as part of a previously announced $120 million U.S. expansion investment.

Groundbreaking for the Charles City facility is scheduled for late 2026, according to the announcement. The new plant will add 140,000 liters of capacity, including large-scale and mid-scale reactors and advanced Hastelloy agitated filter dryers, representing a 20% increase in large-scale manufacturing capacity at the site, the company said.

The expansion is designed to support complex chemistry including controlled substances, highly potent APIs, and commercial-scale liquid phase peptide manufacturing, according to the company.

In Europe, Cambrex has a $30 million expansion underway at its Milan, Italy site, adding analytical development and process R&D capabilities along with upgrades to multiple production plants, the company said. The Milan expansion is expected to be completed in the second half of 2027, with additional land acquired to support future growth, according to the announcement.

Claudio Russolo, chief operating officer at Cambrex, said in a statement the Milan site marks its 80th anniversary of operation this year and that ongoing investments are intended to meet growing demand for complex chemistries including peptides, highly potent molecules, and controlled substances.

This piece was created with the help of generative AI tools and edited by our content team for clarity and accuracy.