CDMOs Rentschler Biopharma and Vetter say demand for lower cost, more streamlined manufacturing services prompted partnership.

The Germany-based contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) announced the formation of a strategic alliance on Monday.

The idea is to offer customers Rentschler’s drug substance manufacturing capacity in combination with Vetter’s aseptic fill and finish and secondary packaging services.

Image: iStock/Tinnakorn Jorruang

Rentschler spokeswoman Cora Kaiser cited market dynamics as the driver for the collaboration, explaining “Drug development is growing increasingly complex and cost intensive. Biopharmaceutical companies are under significant pressure to streamline their products’ path to market.”

She added, “Both companies have known each other for many years and share a commitment to high quality standards and sustainable value creation.

Full details of the partnership have not been disclosed. Kaiser told us “Vetter and Rentschler Biopharma are exploring ways to build on each other’s service portfolio by focusing on complementary skills and experience along the biopharmaceutical value chain.”

She added, “The companies have already jointly identified opportunities for early and active exchange of know-how and best practices that may benefit both clients and their drug products.”

Next steps

Over the next few months Rentschler and Vetter will focus on optimizing interfaces and communications at an early stage, developing shared best practices as well as “simplifying structures, processes, and activities.”

From a capacity perspective, Kaiser told us the CDMOs are committed to “Sharing early visibility into manufacturing requirements” for customers.

Whether this evaluation process will see either contractor invest in additional manufacturing capacity is unclear.

However, separate to the partnership, both Rentschler Biopharma and Vetter are independently investing in their facilities and capabilities Kaiser told us.

“Rentschler Biopharma, for example intends to continuously invest in expansion in its U.S. site at Milford MA, to develop the site into a center of excellence offering multiple technologies and capabilities for multiple products.

“We also continue to hire additional people at the site, to keep pace with the site development and business growth.

Likewise, Kaiser told us Vetter plans to add further capacity in filling and secondary packaging at all its sites, explaining “This is based on increased global customer demand for the development and commercialization of promising new compounds.

She cited recently completed investments in additional GMP analytical laboratory space in Ravensburg, Germany and an expansion at the firm’s US clinical manufacturing facility.