Shilpa Medicare is launching a dedicated contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) business focused on complex small molecules, according to an announcement reported by Express Pharma News Bureau.

The new business, Shilpa CDMO, will operate separately from parent company Shilpa Medicare’s corporate brand and provide development and commercial manufacturing services for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Shilpa CDMO’s capabilities will span discovery and route scouting, process and analytical development, as well as commercial drug-substance and finished-dose manufacturing. The platform includes 230 kiloliters of reactor capacity, three research and development centers, more than 400 scientists, and two dedicated active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing sites, according to the announcement.

The business will focus on complex molecules including highly potent APIs (HPAPIs), peptides, antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) payloads and linkers, oligonucleotides, and proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTACs). Shilpa CDMO plans to formally announce the new business and its new commercial-scale peptide manufacturing capabilities at CPHI Milan, Oct. 6-8.

The company said its payload and linker operations are located within 200 miles of sister company Shilpa Biologicals, which recently commissioned an ADC drug substance manufacturing facility in Dharwad, India. The subsidiary provides antibody production, conjugation, and fill-finish services. Its proximity to Shilpa CDMO is intended to support integrated ADC development and manufacturing while reducing transportation of intermediates between sites.