Investments Exceed $1 Billion for Capability Boost
PCI Pharma Services has announced a significant expansion of its sterile fill-finish and drug-device delivery combination capabilities in the United States. The company has committed over $1 billion to enhance its US and European operations, as revealed on 27th April. This investment underscores the growing priority of US supply chain resilience among pharmaceutical manufacturers.
A key project includes a $100 million investment at PCI’s San Diego campus. This will introduce a high-speed isolator filling line for ready-to-use prefilled syringes and cartridges, expected to be operational by mid-2028. This line will more than double the site’s syringe and cartridge filling capacity, supporting over 45 FDA-approved products currently manufactured there. PCI’s San Diego facility also specialises in large-scale aseptic filling and has capabilities in oligonucleotides, peptides, complex formulations, and lyophilization for injectables such as nanoparticles, mRNA, mAbs, proteins, and highly potent products.
In Bedford, New Hampshire, PCI is commissioning a state-of-the-art isolator vial and lyophilization line. It will be capable of producing up to 33 million vials annually at 400 units per minute. This facility will also feature a customer-dedicated high-potent sterile fill-finish line, making it unique in the US. These enhancements are part of PCI’s strategy to offer robust and efficient manufacturing solutions.
Enhancements in Drug-Device Assembly
The expansion also includes investments in drug-device combination assembly at PCI’s Philadelphia and Rockford campuses. These projects will increase PCI’s capacity to over 250 million autoinjector units annually by adding a third autoinjector line by 2027. The addition will significantly enhance PCI’s manufacturing capabilities in drug-device assembly.
According to PCI CEO Salim Haffar, “Backed by over $1 billion in global infrastructure investment, PCI’s multi-year journey to bolster its domestic manufacturing footprint allows us to meet growing customer demand for innovative drug product and drug delivery solutions.”
In addition, PCI is establishing Development Centers of Excellence in Bedford and León, Spain, to enhance capabilities in lyophilization, formulation, and drug-device combination assets. The Bedford facility is set to open in May, followed by León in June. These centers will further support PCI’s commitment to providing seamless support from clinical stages through commercial launch.
Meanwhile, PCI’s investment in cutting-edge automated visual inspection (AVI) systems is noteworthy. In San Diego and Bedford, these systems are designed for sterile fill-finish applications, with US-based infrastructure supporting more than 70 million prefilled syringes and cartridges annually. These advanced systems ensure high-quality standards in the manufacturing process.
