To meet the demands of the rapidly growing antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) market, Lonza continues to invest in its Switzerland sites. At its Stein facility, the global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) is expanding its commercial-scale aseptic ADC drug product capacity.

In 2023, Lonza announced the extension of a collaboration with a “major biopharma partner” for the commercial-scale filling of ADCs. Under the terms of that agreement, the CDMO is constructing a dedicated filling line in Stein. Now, Lonza has decided to build another commercial-scale, multi-purpose fill and finish line for ADCs at the facility, which is expected to be operational in 2030.

Lonza said the latest capital expenditure (CapEx) in Stein is supported by a long-term collaboration agreement with a “major” undisclosed pharmaceutical company for clinical and commercial ADC supply.

“This investment marks another milestone in the continued expansion of Lonza’s integrated end-to-end offering and complements the dedicated commercial-scale aseptic ADC and the large-scale multi-purpose aseptic drug product facility in Stein, both currently under construction,” the company said in its 2026 half-year results announcement.

“To further enhance the strategic scope of the large-scale drug product facility, Lonza has decided to expand its capabilities to high-value small molecule drug products for a small additional CapEx,” the CDMO said, with operations now expected to start in 2028.

CEO Wolfgang Wienand told analysts in a call last week that customer needs continue to evolve and Lonza decided to boost the strategic scope of the Stein facility by adding capabilities for high-value, small-molecule drug products alongside its original focus on biologics only.

“This will broaden the addressable market for us and will further strengthen the long-term attractiveness of the site,” he said.

Recent ADC investments

Lonza has made investments to provide its customers with a range of ADC offerings in recent years, including the expansion of bioconjugation at its Visp, Switzerland site with two additional manufacturing suites.

Last month, the CDMO announced plans to expand payload-linker manufacturing capacity in Visp to support growing demand for ADC components. The investment will add payload-linker production and purification capabilities within an existing GMP facility, alongside dedicated analytical and process development laboratories.

Lonza’s Visp 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.

“In Visp, we are building a set of multipurpose, highly potent payload linker suites, which are scheduled to commence ramp up in 2029,” Wienand told analysts last week. “We continue to see strong customer demand in this area, supporting our confidence in the long-term opportunity for this investment.”   

Wienand said the investments in the Stein and Visp sites — both projects will reach peak sales by the mid-2030s at the latest — support the continued expansion of Lonza’s integrated offering, as customers are looking for a single CDMO partner that can support their programs from early-stage clinical development through to large-scale commercial supply and from drug substance to drug product.

“This end-to-end capability is further evolving as another key differentiator for Lonza and positions us strongly to support antibodies, bispecifics, and ADCs and other bioconjugates throughout their life cycle,” he said.