Awaiting a potential acquisition by Novo Holdings, Catalent is giving its contract manufacturing compatriot a boost as Ardena plots its U.S. debut.
Catalent is selling its oral solids development and small-scale manufacturing facility in Somerset, New Jersey, to Belgium’s Ardena for an undisclosed sum. The transaction is expected to close in early 2025, Catalent said in a release Monday.
The Somerset property doubles as Catalent’s corporate headquarters, and the CDMO will maintain its home base at the site for now before shifting to a new location sometime in the future. Catalent said it plans to announce the new HQ location at a later date.
Beyond Somerset, Catalent says it’s invested in its oral solid firepower at other facilities in the U.S. and Europe, expanding its ability to perform commercial spray drying, high potent API handling and manufacturing writ large.
As for Ardena, the specialist pharma CDMO already operates production sites in Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands and Sweden, according to a release. The company, based in Ghent, Belgium, says the Catalent deal will “significantly enhance” Ardena’s ability to downstream late-stage and small-scale commercial manufacturing for oral drugs.
Ardena’s purchase of the site, which employs roughly 200 scientists and technicians, positions the company to pitch its services to pharmas and biotechs on both sides of the Atlantic.
“We are thrilled to welcome the talented scientific and operations team from Somerset into the Ardena family,” Jeremie Trochu, Ardena’s CEO, said in a statement. “Together, we will continue to support biopharma companies at the cutting edge of innovation to deliver life-changing therapies to patients worldwide.”
Ardena’s private equity partner GHO Capital helped facilitate the acquisition of Catalent’s Somerset plant. The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Catalent’s plant sale comes as the CDMO giant awaits the close of a potential $16.5 billion buyout by Novo Holdings, which acts as a holding company for Danish drug giant Novo Nordisk. Both Novo Nordisk and Catalent last week confirmed that they continue to expect the acquisition to close toward the end of the year.
Under the proposed deal, Novo Nordisk is set to purchase three Catalent fill-finish sites from Novo Holdings for $11 billion.
While the companies remain optimistic about the transaction’s completion, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, last week sent a letter to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, urging the antitrust agency to “carefully scrutinize” and potentially block the multibillion-dollar merger.
“I am concerned that this deal could increase Novo Nordisk’s dominance over vital GLP-1 inhibitor drugs, reducing competition and increasing prices for patients,” Warren wrote.