CordenPharma announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire AmbioPharm, a U.S.-headquartered peptide API contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), in a move designed to strengthen its peptide manufacturing capabilities and expand its global production footprint.
AmbioPharm operates facilities in North Augusta, South Carolina, and Shanghai, China. Through the acquisition, CordenPharma will enhance its peptide API development and manufacturing capabilities for complex peptide programs while increasing capacity for U.S.-based peptide API supply and adding Shanghai-based production capabilities to serve global customers.
The transaction broadens CordenPharma’s upstream and downstream peptide manufacturing footprint and provides customers with additional manufacturing options, scale-up pathways, and regional and global supply models. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, and the transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions.
The acquisition adds complementary peptide API expertise to CordenPharma’s existing Peptides Platform. Once integrated, the combined capabilities will include advanced linear and fragment-based peptide approaches supported by Solid-Phase Peptide Synthesis (SPPS), Liquid-Phase Peptide Synthesis (LPPS), hybrid synthesis technologies, and CordenPharma’s Tag-Assisted Peptide Synthesis (TAPS) platform. The expanded offering is expected to provide customers with greater flexibility for manufacturing complex, long, and high-purity peptide APIs.
AmbioPharm employs approximately 400 people across its two facilities. The acquisition expands CordenPharma’s network of 11 facilities across Europe and North America by increasing U.S. peptide manufacturing capacity and adding Shanghai-based peptide production to its operational footprint.
As CordenPharma’s second U.S. peptide facility, the North Augusta site will significantly expand purification and lyophilization capabilities for peptide APIs. The facility will complement existing operations in Colorado, enabling fully U.S.-based peptide API supply options for large-scale commercial peptide projects.
Meanwhile, the Shanghai campus will provide additional clinical and commercial peptide supply capacity, including significant upstream capabilities across SPPS, LPPS, and hybrid synthesis, along with selected downstream manufacturing capabilities.
The transaction follows CordenPharma’s continued investment in its global peptide business since being acquired by Astorg in 2022. As part of the agreement, AmbioPharm shareholders will reinvest in the combined company, reflecting confidence in the growth potential of the expanded peptide platform.
KEY QUOTES:
“This acquisition significantly bolsters CordenPharma’s Peptides Platform with complementary capabilities and advances our strategic objective to serve as a leading peptide manufacturing partner. As peptide programs become more complex and advanced, customers value CDMO partners who can offer both upstream scientific route selection and process robustness with downstream manufacturing scale and built-in geographic flexibility. AmbioPharm’s capabilities perfectly complement our existing peptide expertise, helping us to broaden the ways we support customers from development to commercialization.”
Dr. Michael Quirmbach, President & CEO, CordenPharma Group
“Becoming part of CordenPharma marks an exciting new chapter for AmbioPharm. Together, we will be able to offer customers broader technical capabilities, increased global capacity, and a highly reliable Peptides Platform to support the development and commercialization of peptide-based medicines, delivered through a fully-integrated global facility network. Importantly, we remain focused on the patients who rely on these medicines.”
Brian Gregg, CEO, AmbioPharm
“This acquisition marks an important step in CordenPharma’s growth journey, enhancing the company’s strategic positioning and supporting significant long-term growth opportunities in peptides.”
Antoine Thomas, Director, Astorg
“This is an exciting time for the promise of peptides to help patients across the globe, and now at CordenPharma we strengthen our capabilities to deliver this promise for our partners.”
Paul Perreault, Chairman of the Board, CordenPharma
“Since our investment in AmbioPharm, we have worked closely with the company as a strategic shareholder to enhance its operations and expand its global footprint. We are incredibly proud of what AmbioPharm has achieved and are very excited about its merger with CordenPharma, given the breadth of its peptides platform and expertise. We remain confident in the strong growth potential of the global peptide CDMO market and look forward to continuing to support the combined business as it seeks to achieve the next level of success.”
Ling Yang, Partner and Head of Healthcare, Carlyle Asia
