“Our goal is to be recognized for exceptional reliability in our services and manufacturing, while helping our customers bring the most innovative medicines to market.”
Dr. Michael Quirmbach, CEO and President of CordenPharma, has overseen remarkable growth at the full-service CDMO since joining in 2014. Under his leadership, the company has tripled its workforce to 3,000 employees and increased revenue from €245 million to nearly €1 billion while expanding capabilities across peptides, injectables, and high-potency oncology products.
Michael, who holds a PhD in chemistry and began his career as a scientist before transitioning to business leadership, brings 25 years of CDMO experience to his role. In a recent PharmaSource podcast recorded at CPHI, he discussed CordenPharma’s €900 million expansion in peptide manufacturing, the company’s strategy for complex modalities, and how AI is transforming pharmaceutical manufacturing operations.
Strategic Focus on Complex Modalities
When Michael joined CordenPharma in 2014, the company needed direction. With multiple acquired assets but no clear strategy, the leadership team had to determine where to compete and how to allocate resources.
“We had to make a decision on which areas we want to play. How are we going to develop this business?” Michael explains. “It took us some time to figure this out and get traction in the market.”
The company defined five to six core technology platforms and invested heavily in development capabilities to support customers from early-stage through commercialization. Its focus on complex modalities has positioned CordenPharma as a partner for innovative therapies that require specialized expertise.
“We established these platforms and consistently evaluated what was necessary to achieve success,” Michael says. “You need to have excellent development capabilities, capacities, and availability to support the customer from early stage all the way to commercialization.”
Meeting Demand in the Peptide Market
CordenPharma’s €900 million investment in peptide manufacturing capacity, announced in 2024, addresses persistent supply constraints in the GLP-1 market. The multi-year expansion across facilities in Colorado, Frankfurt, and Switzerland aims to meet growing demand that continues to outpace available capacity.
“At the moment, on the peptide GLP-1 side, you still see increasing demand,” Michael notes. “There’s probably not enough capacity out there, particularly capacity in the US.”
What sets CordenPharma apart in an increasingly crowded peptide landscape? Scale and expertise, Michael explains. “Many companies can make peptides on a small scale,” he says. “But producing them at the scale we operate is an entirely different challenge. It requires deep technical know-how, advanced engineering, and the infrastructure to safely manage large volumes of solvents and complex processes.”
Advancing Oncology and Gene Therapy
Beyond peptides, CordenPharma maintains strong capabilities in high-potency oncology and lipid manufacturing for mRNA encapsulation and gene therapy applications. The company recently supported a customer’s approval for an innovative bladder cancer treatment after eight years of development work.
“We started with this company eight years ago. It was a biotech. It was acquired by big pharma, and then we really commercialized the product,” Michael says. “Very exciting.”
The company also manufactures lipids for gene therapy applications and develops new breast cancer medications with customers. This breadth across oncology, injectables, and gene therapy reflects CordenPharma’s deliberate strategy to compete in areas requiring specialized knowledge.
AI for Operational Excellence
While AI in pharmaceutical manufacturing often draws attention for its role in drug discovery, Michael sees immediate opportunities in operations. Electronic batch records and data analysis are prime areas where AI can deliver tangible efficiency gains today.
“Sometimes we deal with batch records that are incredibly long—up to 3,000 pages,” Michael explains. “You really can’t just scan them and extract the insights manually. There’s so much potential to do things better.”
Beyond batch records, AI can help streamline standard operating procedures as organizations scale and quality systems grow increasingly complex. It can also analyze lengthy reports in minutes, surfacing key insights that previously required hours of manual review.
If Michael had an additional €900 million to invest today, he would prioritize IT infrastructure and AI capabilities, alongside continued growth in injectables, small molecules, and oligonucleotides.
“There’s a lot we can do on the IT side, and later on the AI side,” he says. “There are plenty of opportunities to increase efficiency.”
Maintaining Alignment Across Global Operations
Managing 3,000 employees across 11 sites in six countries requires consistent communication and visible leadership. Michael and his leadership team visit nearly every site quarterly to meet with local teams and stay connected to operational realities.
“It’s all about communication,” Michael says. “How do we get people aligned so everyone understands what we want to accomplish, what the priorities are, and what the challenges are?”
The company uses global town hall meetings, frequent intranet communications, and regular site visits to maintain alignment. Michael emphasizes the importance of being present on manufacturing floors, not just in corporate offices.
“I think it’s extremely important to be connected to the people, not only sitting in the Basel office, but really getting the connection, visiting the site, walking around,” he says. “That’s what people appreciate—being close and having an understanding of the day-to-day problems.”
By 2030, Michael wants CordenPharma to be recognized for reliability, innovation, and manufacturing excellence.
“We want to be known for our reliability in services and manufacturing, for helping our customers bring the most innovative medicines to market, and for being truly exceptional at what we do,” he says.
