At a Glance
- Company: ESTEVE CDMO
- Location: Celrà, Girona, Spain
- Headline: New 3,000 m² production unit
- Focus area: Complex solid oral and inhalation drug products using spray drying
- Next steps: Construction and fit‑out towards Q4 2027 start of operations
What happened?
ESTEVE CDMO plans to add a new 3,000‑square‑metre production unit at its manufacturing site in Celrà, Spain, expanding its development and commercial manufacturing footprint.
The new building will incorporate spray‑drying equipment within high‑containment suites, with operations expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2027 to support client projects in complex solid oral and inhaled dosage forms.
Why does it matter?
Spray drying is a key technology for improving the solubility and bioavailability of poorly soluble small‑molecule drugs, often via amorphous solid dispersions. By adding dedicated spray‑drying capacity in high‑potency containment, ESTEVE CDMO aims to attract more late‑stage and commercial programmes in areas such as highly potent oral therapies and inhaled products, where handling and formulation complexity are significant barriers for sponsors.
Who’s behind it?
ESTEVE CDMO is the contract development and manufacturing arm of ESTEVE, focused on small‑molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and advanced intermediates from its sites including Celrà in Spain. The expansion aligns with a broader multi‑year investment strategy to increase capacity and technological capabilities at the Celrà hub, which already serves as a key centre for high‑potency and advanced API manufacturing.
How was it achieved?
The project involves constructing a 3,000 m² unit designed around spray‑drying operations, including dedicated containment for highly potent compounds and infrastructure that can host multiple spray dryers over time. According to the company, the new unit will initially focus on spray‑dried intermediates and final dosage forms for complex solid oral and inhalation projects, integrating with ESTEVE CDMO’s existing small‑molecule development and manufacturing services.
What’s next?
Fit‑out and qualification of the new Celrà unit will continue ahead of a planned start of operations in Q4 2027, with a phased ramp‑up of spray‑drying capacity. Once online, ESTEVE CDMO is expected to channel more complex oral and inhalation programmes through Celrà, and may add further spray‑drying equipment as pipeline demand grows.
What are people saying? (optional)
Company leadership has highlighted spray drying as a way to tackle stability, solubility, potency and scalability challenges increasingly seen in modern development pipelines. They frame the investment as a proactive move to stay aligned with customer needs and to reinforce ESTEVE CDMO’s position as a partner for high‑quality small‑molecule API and drug product manufacturing.