Shire says the decision to sell the Milford site, which focuses on the manufacture, purification, formulation and bulk fill of its haemophilia A product, Obizur (antihemophilic Factor (recombinant) porcine sequence), was prompted by a ‘comprehensive manufacturing network assessment’.
The evaluation was instigated to enable “the projected growth of the company portfolio, [the] streamlining [of] resources and [reduction of] overall cost,” a company spokesperson told us.
Details of the acquisition, including the purchase price, were not disclosed, but Shire’s spokesperson revealed the firms have agreed to collaborate in the future: “Moving forward, Rentschler will be a partner to Shire and take over manufacturing at the Milford site.”
For German contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) Rentschler Biopharma, the acquisition will see its site network expand beyond Europe, to become “one of the most important life sciences hubs in the world”.
“We want to further strengthen and secure our world-class CDMO position in a growing and changing global market, in part through internationalisation,” a company spokesperson told us.
Growing client demand was also a factor in the CDMO’s decision to take over the site: “We are also following a strong client request. As we are focused on meeting their needs, the acquisition of the Milford site signals our strong commitment to both our clients and the market.”
