In the highly dynamic world of pharmaceuticals, the Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) sector is evolving rapidly, driven by increasing demand for specialized development, manufacturing, and packaging services and the surge in innovative therapies.
At PCI Pharma Services, we continue to lead this transformation, investing significantly in capabilities, infrastructure, and scientific know-how to meet the growing global need for cutting-edge drug product development, manufacturing, and advanced drug delivery packaging solutions.
The global CDMO market is expected to grow from $173 billion in 2023 to $345 billion by 2033, driven by an increasing number of small and mid-sized biotech companies, the rising complexity of drug molecules, and the demand for personalized medicine. As this market grows, the role of the CDMO has become more crucial than ever — providing the necessary infrastructure, expertise, and scalability to ensure that novel therapies reach patients as efficiently and safely as possible.
Investing in the Future of CDMO Services
At PCI, our mission is to offer fully integrated end-to-end services that streamline the supply chain, mitigate risks, and accelerate time to market. To this end, we have committed approximately $500 million in global investments across our key service areas over the next several years, building capacity and advancing our technological capabilities to stay ahead in an ever-changing market. These investments reflect our core belief of continuous improvement to support the provision of flexible, scalable solutions for drug product development, manufacturing, and packaging in this era of personalized and life changing therapies.
One of our primary focuses has been the expansion of our sterile fill-finish and lyophilization — an area experiencing significant demand due to the rising demand for biologics and other complex drug products. The global biologics market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.3% to 2029, with the need for CDMOs specializing in these highly sensitive, complex formulations expected to increase in parallel. To meet this demand, we have invested $100 million to expand our sterile manufacturing campus in Bedford, New Hampshire, with a new 50,000-square-foot facility. This site will offer best-in-class, late-stage clinical and commercial-scale, Annex 1 compliant fully isolated vial filling and lyophilization services, meeting the needs of biologics and high-value small molecules, including monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and oligonucleotides.
Our Bedford expansion supports the growing demand for Annex 1-compliant sterile manufacturing, ensuring the highest standards of sterility and safety for both clinical and commercial products. The new facility features cutting-edge automation and containment systems, enabling us to fill up to 300,000 vials per batch at a rate of 400 vials per minute. This investment positions PCI as a key player in helping clients navigate the complexities of sterile manufacturing in a time of rising regulatory scrutiny and growing patient need for life changing therapies.
Scaling for the Future of Advanced Drug Delivery
One of the fastest-growing areas in pharmaceuticals is advanced drug delivery and drug device combination systems. These devices, which include autoinjectors, prefilled syringes, and wearable devices, are gaining prominence due to their ability to improve patient compliance and enable self-administration, reducing the need for hospital visits and enabling more consistent treatment for chronic conditions like diabetes and autoimmune diseases.
As personalized medicine and biologics gain traction, patient-centric devices are critical for delivering complex therapies in a user-friendly way, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes and overall treatment success. The injectable drug delivery market is projected to exceed $1.6 trillion by 2033, and PCI is striving to be at the forefront of this trend. Building upon over 20 years of expertise in biologics, PCI is investing more than $365 million globally in the expansion of our advanced drug delivery capabilities, with new facilities and upgraded infrastructure across both the US and Europe. For example, our site in Rockford, Illinois — known for its specialized packaging solutions for injectable products — is in the final stages of a 550,000-square-foot expansion across two facilities expansion. This expansion will support the final assembly and packaging of a broad array of injectable devices, including prefilled syringes, autoinjectors, and pen-cartridge systems for the treatment of chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and autoimmune disorders, together with extensive storage capacity.
At PCI, we understand the critical role that advanced drug delivery and drug device combination products play in improving patient outcomes. By scaling up our capabilities in this space, we aim to help clients accelerate the transition of innovative therapies from clinical trials to commercial markets while offering the necessary flexibility to adapt to global market demands. Our goal is to be among the first CDMOs to bring whole-lifespan development of these advanced drug delivery and drug-device combination products under one roof, marrying efficiencies and streamlining the journey from clinical stages through launch and commercialization.
Global Expansion: Meeting Market Needs with Strategic Facility Growth
As the CDMO market continues to globalize, proximity to key markets is crucial. Our European expansion exemplifies our commitment to meeting client needs with strategic facility growth. In Ireland, we recently acquired a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical packaging facility in Dundalk, with operations expected to begin in Q4 2024. This 90,000-square-foot site will support commercial-scale packaging for both injectable and oral solid dose products, with over 5,500 pallet spaces for controlled ambient and refrigerated storage, underscoring our dedication to providing comprehensive storage and distribution solutions. Additionally, at our CityNorth campus in Stamullen, Co. Meath, Ireland, we are constructing an 80,000-square-foot packaging facility, set to be operational by Q3 2025. This facility will expand capacity for the final assembly and packaging of injectable products and drug device combination products, including autoinjectors. The demand for such specialized packaging solutions is growing as more and more drug manufacturers seek reliable partners to handle the complexities of specialist injectable therapies.
Digital Transformation and Sustainability: The Next Frontiers
At PCI, we understand that investing in infrastructure alone is not enough. We are also heavily investing in digital transformation and sustainability, two areas that are becoming increasingly important to our clients and the broader pharmaceutical industry. Our pci | bridge™ platform represents a major leap forward in how we support clinical trials and commercial supply for our clients and their life changing therapies. By providing a comprehensive suite of digital tools to manage the trial journey and supply chain visibility, pci | bridge™ offers our clients greater transparency, flexibility, and control over their projects. In the coming year, we will invest an additional $1.2 million in new platform features, including enhanced product lifecycle visibility and demand planning tools, further empowering our clients to make informed decisions about their supply chain.
On the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) front, we have made significant strides in recent years, with sustainability embedded in everything we do. We are proud to have been awarded a bronze medal by EcoVadis for our Sustainability Performance for the third consecutive year in 2024. This year, we improved our score from 54 to 58, putting us in the 66th percentile of more than 130,000 companies assessed by EcoVadis. As we continue to grow, we are committed to reducing our environmental footprint, investing in greener technologies, and maintaining transparency in our sustainability efforts. By aligning with the highest ESG standards, we aim to positively impact both the communities we operate in and the environment at large.
A Historical Approach to Investment
PCI has a long history of strategic acquisitions and investments to both increase our global packaging footprint as well as adding manufacturing capabilities. A key example of this is the £12 million investment into its specialist oral solid dose drug product development and manufacturing facility in the UK two years ago. This investment was aimed at increasing the site’s clinical and commercial scale manufacturing capacity for both highly potent and non-potent products and introducing advanced technology for blister packaging, a critical capability for serving the growing demand in pharmaceutical outsourcing.
The UK investment forms part of PCI’s broader strategy to continuously improve its operational capacities, ensuring it remains well-positioned to handle the increasing complexities of drug development and commercialization. This expansion is just one chapter in PCI’s long-standing commitment to providing reliable, scalable, and innovative manufacturing solutions, solidifying its role as a trusted partner for both small and large-scale pharmaceutical projects. PCI’s dedication to long-term investment is at the heart of its success as a leading CDMO. Over the decades, the company has consistently invested in expanding its global footprint, upgrading technology, and enhancing its service capabilities to meet the ever-evolving demands of the pharmaceutical industry.
From its multi-million-dollar investments in sterile fill-finish capabilities to its continuous innovation in advanced drug delivery systems, along with key expansions in San Diego and a new clinical Centre of Excellence in Boston, Massachusetts, PCI has proven its commitment to staying ahead of market trends. Today, PCI is a global $1 billion CDMO operating 30 GMP facilities throughout North America, Canada, the UK, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region. By strategically investing in infrastructure and technology, we enable pharmaceutical and biotech companies to bring life changing therapies to market faster and more efficiently. Our continued growth enables us to support over 3,100 clinical trials and over 450 commercial molecules and each year deliver over 90 commercial product launches. This lifelong commitment to growth is not just about enhancing PCI’s own capabilities but about reinforcing its role as a trusted partner to clients and a leader in the development and commercialization of complex therapeutics.
The Evolving Role of CDMOs: A Strategic Partner in Drug Development and Commercialization
As the pharmaceutical landscape evolves, so too does the role of the CDMO. No longer just providers of outsourced services, CDMOs are becoming strategic partners, integral to the success of drug development and commercialization. The increasing complexity of drug products, combined with the pressures of quality and regulatory compliance, cost control, and speed to market, has positioned CDMOs like PCI as essential collaborators for pharmaceutical and biotech companies of all sizes. At PCI, we pride ourselves on being more than just a service provider — we are problem solvers, innovators, and partners in our clients’ success. Our continued investments in infrastructure, technology, and sustainability are a testament to our commitment to remaining at the forefront of the CDMO industry while helping to deliver life changing therapies to patients around the world.
As we look to the future, we remain dedicated to providing our clients with the highest levels of service, expertise, and flexibility, ensuring that we can meet the challenges and opportunities of this rapidly evolving industry. At PCI Pharma Services, we are not just keeping pace with the changing CDMO landscape—we are driving it.
We are committed to supporting clients at every stage of the manufacturing cycle, delivering best-in-class services efficiently and effectively.
Find out more about our fully integrated CDMO Services.