Lonza, a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, has announced plans to expand payload-linker manufacturing capacity at its Visp, Switzerland site to support growing demand for antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) components.

The investment will add payload-linker production and purification capabilities within an existing GMP facility, alongside dedicated analytical and process development laboratories, according to the announcement. The facility is designed for multipurpose use and scale-out, enabling flexible production of a broad range of highly potent payload-linker molecules with the option to add additional suites as demand grows, the company said. The expanded capacity is expected to be operational in 2028.

The Visp expansion connects to Lonza’s broader ADC manufacturing network, which includes monoclonal antibody manufacturing and conjugation capabilities in Visp and drug product manufacturing at its Stein, Switzerland site, according to the company.

Christian Seufert, head of advanced synthesis at Lonza, said in a statement the rapid growth of the ADC market is driving demand for highly complex payload-linkers that require advanced manufacturing capabilities, and that the investment reflects the company’s commitment to expanding its capacity to support the next generation of ADC therapies.

The capacity expansion follows a period of significant ADC licensing activity at Lonza. As reported by Pharma Manufacturing last week, the company signed four separate ADC technology licensing agreements in June alone — with AmMax Bio, Antharis Therapeutics, InduPro, and Stipple Bio — adding to a May deal with Bristol Myers Squibb for access to its SYNtecan linker-payload platform. Lonza said it is also evaluating options to add bioconjugation capabilities in the U.S. to complement its Visp center of excellence.