Symeres expands spray drying capabilities at NJ site for small molecule development

Symeres, a contract research, development, and manufacturing organization (CRDMO) headquartered in the Netherlands, has expanded spray drying capabilities at its Cranbury, New Jersey Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) development site to support formulation development for poorly soluble and development-challenged small molecule drug candidates.

According to the company, the expanded capability is designed to support bioavailability enhancement strategies including amorphous solid dispersions, particle engineering, and solubility optimization for compounds advancing from preclinical development through Phase II clinical activities.

The investment integrates spray drying with formulation sciences, analytical characterization, solid-state sciences, and process development within a single development environment, which the company said is intended to reduce tech-transfer risk and improve development continuity.

Henning Steinhagen, CEO of Symeres, said in a statement that the expansion strengthens the company’s ability to support complex molecules “through development and into the clinic” by combining discovery, development, and CMC expertise within one organization.

The Cranbury site now supports laboratory-scale and pilot-scale spray drying workflows for formulation screening, process optimization, and scalable process development. According to the announcement, the platform is designed for Biopharmaceutical Classification System Class II and IV compounds, highly lipophilic molecules, and targeted therapies requiring improved oral bioavailability.

Paul O’Shea, managing director at Exemplify BioPharma, a Symeres company, said the expanded spray drying capability is intended to help sponsors address developability challenges earlier while reducing operational complexity and accelerating clinical progression timelines.