Cambrex, a New Jersey-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), has begun construction of a $30 million research and development (R&D) facility at its Milan, Italy site, adding analytical development and process R&D capabilities for small-molecule therapies.

The facility is expected to be completed in the second half of 2027. The project also includes upgrades to multiple production plants, while Cambrex has acquired adjacent land to accommodate future expansion at the site.

The Milan investment is part of a broader expansion strategy that includes a planned $120 million active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing plant at Cambrex’s Charles City, Iowa facility. The new Iowa plant, for which groundbreaking is scheduled in late 2026, is expected to add 140,000 liters of capacity and support complex chemistry, including controlled substances, highly potent APIs, and commercial-scale liquid-phase peptide manufacturing.

The Milan site, known as Cambrex Profarmico Milano, is marking its 80th anniversary in 2026. Cambrex said the R&D expansion is intended to strengthen its ability to support increasingly complex small molecule development and manufacturing programs.

In an interview with Pharma Manufacturing, Cambrex CEO Thomas Loewald discussed how the company is positioning itself amid shifting global supply chain expectations, burgeoning demand for complex small molecule therapeutics, and a rapidly evolving CDMO landscape. Loewald outlined the significance of Cambrex’s recent investments, how customers’ needs are changing, and what’s ahead in 2026 and beyond.