Edinburgh pharmaceutical site employing 130 people sees change of owner

Swiss pharmaceutical group Lonza has completed the sale of its Edinburgh site employing some 130 staff to NextPharma.

The operation is one of two – the other located in France – that is being divested under an agreement between both firms that was announced in January.

The capital site produces capsules for pharmaceutical and consumer health and nutrition applications.

Lonza said a “seamless ownership transfer process remains a priority”.

Lonza is a global partner to the pharmaceutical, biotech and nutrition markets. It works to prevent illness and enable a healthier world by supporting its customers to deliver new and innovative medicines that help treat a wide range of diseases.

Gordon Bates, president and head of small molecules at Lonza, said: “The strategic divestment of our Ploermel [France] and Edinburgh sites will enable NextPharma to benefit from operational synergies and optimise existing expertise and technologies.

“In this context, as we close the divestment process, we are confident that NextPharma is well placed to develop and grow both sites to their full potential. We wish to thank the leadership teams and employees at the Ploermel and Edinburgh sites for their continuing dedication and professionalism during the transition period.”

Peter Burema, chief executive of NextPharma, said: “We are very excited at adding two new centres of excellence, at Ploermel and Edinburgh, to NextPharma’s manufacturing network, allowing us to further broaden our technology offering for both our existing and new customers.

“These technologies, combined with the know-how and expertise of the employees at both sites, will provide additional solutions for drug formulations which will benefit patients across the world.”

Founded in 1897 in the Swiss Alps, Lonza operates across five continents and has some 14,000 full-time employees. NextPharma has a footprint spanning sites in Germany, France, Finland and now Scotland.

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