- Evonik has manufactured its first batch of GMP-quality pharmaceutical lipids at its new Lipid Innovation Center (LINC) in Lafayette, Indiana, with full production capacity expected by mid-2027.
- The facility will support US-based manufacturing of pharmaceutical lipids used in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for advanced therapies, including mRNA medicines, cancer immunotherapy, gene therapy and vaccines.
Evonik has manufactured its first batch of GMP-quality pharmaceutical lipids at its new Lipid Innovation Center (LINC) in Lafayette, Indiana. The US government-supported facility, located at Evonik’s Tippecanoe site, is designed to manufacture pharmaceutical lipids used in advanced therapies, including RNA medicines, cancer immunotherapy and gene therapy. The facility is scheduled to reach full production capacity by mid-2027.
The first product manufactured at LINC is PhytoChol®, a non-animal-derived cholesterol used as an excipient in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). These nanoparticles encapsulate and deliver nucleic acid-based medicines, including mRNA therapeutics. The facility is designed to accommodate multiple lipid chemistries, manufacturing processes and products, supporting different drug delivery requirements.
The new center forms part of Evonik’s pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) services and its broader lipid-based drug delivery operations. It is intended to strengthen domestic manufacturing capacity for pharmaceutical lipids while supporting customers developing advanced therapies. The company also cited an industry estimate projecting the global LNP market to reach $2.7 billion by 2034.
Evonik’s manufacturing network includes its Vancouver Laboratories in Canada, which develops LNP formulations and supports clinical manufacturing. Late-stage clinical and commercial processes are transferred to Birmingham, Alabama, while facilities in Dossenheim and Hanau, Germany, and Tippecanoe, Indiana, supply lipids and adjuvants. The company also operates an R&D facility in the Greater Boston area.
The Lafayette facility adds pharmaceutical lipid production capacity to Evonik’s integrated development and contract manufacturing network. The company announced an additional investment in a GMP manufacturing facility in Vancouver in August 2026, supporting its strategy to provide services from formulation development through clinical manufacturing and commercial supply.
