After Catalent disclosed plans to lay off hundreds of U.S. workers in the second half of last year, it appears the company's international workforce will be next to be affected by changing priorities at the CDMO.
Last week, reports emerged out of Belgium that Catalent is planning to close a facility in Gosselies, with 150 workers set to be affected by the decision. The company's operation in Gosselies is dubbed its "European Center of Excellence in cell therapy," and its planned closure comes in response to a decline in production there, local publication RTL reported on Thursday.
“As part of our commitment to driving value for our customers and patients, Catalent continually evaluates its operations in response to changing market dynamics and customer needs," a company spokesperson said in an email. "Consistent with this review, Catalent has announced its intent to close the Gosselies cell therapy and plasmids site and consider transitioning certain ongoing business to other sites within our network."
The company is consulting with the local works council and other stakeholders as it moves to close the Gosselies operation, which comprises three buildings, the spokesperson said.
Catalent made a series of deals early this decade to build up its presence in the town, starting with its Feb. 2020 agreement for CDMO MaSTherCell, valued at $315 million.
That agreement gave Catalent a 25,000 square-foot facility in Gosselies, and then Catalent moved quickly to add to that presence with a separate facility buyout in the fall of 2020 and another CDMO acquisition in the spring of 2021.
Finally, in 2022, Catalent touted the opening of a 60,000-square-foot site in Gosselies.
But much has changed since then—both for Catalent and for the larger cell and gene therapy industry.
At Catalent, the company sold itself to Novo Holdings in an acquisition that closed in late 2024. The company has also debuted a new global headquarters in Tampa and unveiled its new corporate branding.
For the industry at large, the cell and gene therapy field has seen growing pains and witnessed high-profile exits by the likes of Novo Nordisk and Takeda in recent months.
As it pertains to Catalent, gene therapy demand fluctuations last year prompted hundreds of layoffs in Maryland.