Hikma upping injectables capacity by as much as 500% by end of 2017

By Dan Stanton

- Last updated on GMT

Image: iStock/joxxxxjo
Image: iStock/joxxxxjo
Hikma has ramped up capacity at manufacturing facilities in the US and Portugal manufacturing to meet the growing demand for its lyophilised and oncology products.

Hikma Pharmaceuticals reported group revenues of $895m (€760m) for the first half 2016, up 1% on the same period last year. Capital expenditure for the period was $47m, including around $28m to expand its Cherry Hill, New Jersey facility and around $8m at its site in Portugal as part of plans to increase injectables manufacturing capacity for lyophilised and oncology products.

As such, the firm expects to add significant capacity at the two sites by the end of the year, including an additional 80 million pre-filled syringes, pushing total capacity to 100 million across its network, up from just 20 million in 2016.

Lyophilisation space is set to triple by the end of the year to 176m2​, while the firm will also push cephalosporin capacity from 46 to 70 million units.

During a call to discuss results, CEO Said Darwazah told investors the investments were to meet demand for Hikma’s generic and branded injectables. “Increasingly, our customers want ready-to-use products. We are ensuring we have adequate capacity to meet this growing demand.”

The firm is also looking beyond this year through a dedicated oncology injectables facility at the Portugal site.

A spokesman from the firm told in-Pharmatechnologist the site in Terrugem – about 20km northwest of Lisbon – exports injectables from Portugal to the US and MENA markets and the dedicated oncology facility is expected to be operational in 2019.

While the specific quantum of investment of the new facility was not disclosed, it will bring Hikma 100 million units of liquid capacity (currently its network has capacity for 20 million), and up dedicated lyophilisation space for oncology products up by 55m2​ on Hikma’s current 35m2​.

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