Recipharm’s CDMO Evolution: Technology Investment Powering Global Growth

“Every minute, over 1000 patients are using a product manufactured in one of our sites,” reveals Kerstin Vieluf, Head of Sales at Recipharm.

Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Recipharm has over 5,900 employees across 17 sites in Europe, US, India, and Israel and serves more than 400 customers globally.

In this exclusive interview ahead of CDMO Live, the leadership team outlines how Recipharm is evolving its capabilities, with significant investments in digital prediction tools, expanded development services, and sustainability initiatives. Dr. Vincenza Pironti, (Head of Business Development), Dr. Uwe Hanenberg (Head of Product Development), and Dr. Kerstin Vieluf, (Head of Sales) reveal how technology investment is driving growth.

Digital Innovation Drives Development

Recipharm has launched ReciPredict, a platform that predicts drug product behaviour during manufacturing and development. This investment reflects the company’s response to evolving customer needs in 2025, particularly in managing complex biologics and biosimilars.

“This tool can save money for our customers by limiting the amount of drug substance used in trials and development,” explains Vincenza. “We’ve also simplified our development network to offer end-to-end service in sterile fill-finish, including new sterile development capabilities at our Bengaluru site.”

The company is further actively expanding its biologics capabilities, with a particular focus on biosimilars and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). “We’re introducing more biologics into our drug product network, bringing new complexity and technological challenges that can be addressed through tools like ReciPredict,” Vincenza adds. “We’re also seeking partners to invest in high-potent product capabilities and continuous manufacturing solutions, not just for oral solid dosage but also for specific drug substances like mRNA.

Strategic Investment in Manufacturing Excellence

The company has made substantial investments in development and pilot-scale capabilities across its network, with a clear focus on technical precision and scalability.

“We’ve invested almost €5 million in our European and Bengaluru sites,” says Uwe. “In Europe, we’ve established new equipment including a Gerteis Mini-Pactor for controlled compaction, a GMP pilot scale press, and a GKF 702 capsule filler supporting dual filling technologies. By combining this hardware with statistical tools, expert physical characterization equipment, and our new compression and compaction simulator Style’One Evo in Bengaluru, we can understand formulation characteristics faster and accelerate products to market.”

Kerstin emphasises the flexibility of their manufacturing strategy: “While we have additional capacity in existing manufacturing lines, we also offer customization opportunities. Some sites have brownfield availability for engineering activities on larger projects. These can be structured as condo models or co-investment strategic partnerships, allowing us to tailor our approach to each client’s needs.”

Sustainability Leadership

Recipharm has established clear sustainability targets with specific milestones through to 2050.
“We’ve set ambitious goals,” explains Uwe. “Zero scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, Net Zero scope 1 by 2040, and Net Zero scope 3 by 2050. We’ve already achieved 100% renewable energy in 2024 and are on track for 20% water reduction by 2026.”

Partnership Excellence

The team emphasises the importance of clear communication and expectations in CDMO partnerships.

“Ensure you have a mutual understanding of expectations, scope of work, and communication rhythms,” advises Uwe. “Perform thorough risk assessments covering business, EHS, and quality aspects. Most importantly, invest in knowledge management to ensure project continuity.”

When asked about fixing common partnership challenges, Uwe concludes with a smile: “There are two options – take into account what I just elaborated on, or come to Recipharm.”