Siegfried Expands El Masnou Site to Boost Ophthalmic Drug Manufacturing

• Siegfried is expanding its El Masnou site in Spain to increase capacity for sterile ophthalmic drug manufacturing.

• The additional manufacturing lines will be available to customers by 2027, with earlier capacity for ointments expected in 2026.

Siegfried, a global CDMO, has announced a major expansion of its ophthalmic drug manufacturing site in El Masnou, near Barcelona, Spain. The investment responds to growing customer demand for sterile eye drops and enhances the company’s footprint in contract manufacturing for ophthalmic treatments.

The expansion will significantly increase production capacity for sterile eye drops, with the new lines expected to be operational by 2027. This development complements an existing initiative to boost sterile eye care ointment manufacturing, with those capabilities expected to come online by 2026.

The El Masnou facility will also acquire new equipment that meets the European Union’s Annex 1 regulations, which govern the manufacture of sterile medicinal products. This regulatory compliance upgrade underscores Siegfried’s commitment to maintaining high standards in pharmaceutical production.

Founded in 1925, the El Masnou site has long-standing expertise in ophthalmic formulations. It produces more than 100 million treatments annually, including eye drops, sterile ointments, and nasal and otic medicines.

“We see continued strong demand for ophthalmic products and the expansion of our El Masnou site will provide valuable additional capacity for our customers,” said Marcel Imwinkelried, CEO of Siegfried. “This expansion enhances our global ophthalmic manufacturing footprint and enables us, together with our ophthalmics site in Irvine, US, to effectively serve Europe and the US.”