Breaking: Sharp acquires Berkshire Sterile Manufacturing

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© Sharp

Sharp, a commercial pharma packaging and clinical trial supply services firm, has acquired Berkshire Sterile Manufacturing (BSM), a Massachusetts-based fill finish contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO).

According to Sharp, the deal will enable the business to offer a fully integrated small-to-medium scale sterile injectable service offering for the biopharma industry.

In addition, Sharp’s existing clinical supply, packaging, and distribution solutions will complement BSM’s sterile manufacturing expertise, the company said.

Together, Sharp and BSM will offer global, integrated CDMO services to biopharma customers from sterile drug product manufacturing to clinical trial services and packaging.

BSM was founded in 2014 in Lee, Massachusetts, to manufacture small-scale clinical and commercial drug products. The CDMO operates a fill finish service with specialized isolator-based sterile filling of vials, syringes, and cartridges with lyophilization capabilities. 

The 228 employees at BSM will join Sharp but continue to work from the Massachusetts facility.

Kevin Orfan, CEO and president of Sharp, said: “The market continues to demand expertise and capacity in sterile manufacturing due in part to the growth in rare and orphan disease therapies. With sterile injectables a huge part of addressing this unmet medical need, the acquisition of BSM allows Sharp to provide a fully integrated solution for our biopharma clients that is a natural extension of our existing injectables and clinical packaging expertise.” 

“This acquisition, which builds on the existing partnership between our two companies, will greatly benefit our clients, creating an efficient manufacturing and distribution service for biotech companies developing sterile injectable products across the world.” 

Dr. Shawn Kinney, BSM’s co-founder and CEO, will join Sharp’s senior leadership team and continue to lead BSM’s daily operations. 

Shawn added: “This is an exciting development for everyone at BSM and for our clients, who will benefit from a seamless downstream packaging, labeling, storage, and distribution service through Sharp’s network of facilities and expertise. With Sharp’s support, I am looking forward to the opportunity to grow the sterile manufacturing business and to broaden our reach in the service of our clients and their patients.”

However, BSM’s CTO and co-founder Dr. Andrea Wagner will depart from the company.