Lonza: Two Strong Signals in One Week
Lonza, the Basel-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) and one of the largest employers in the Swiss canton of Valais with around 4,500 staff in Visp, made headlines twice in the space of a few days — with two major announcements.
Expanding ADC manufacturing capacity in Visp
On 30 June, Lonza announced plans to expand its payload-linker manufacturing capacity at its Visp site, reinforcing its position in the fast-growing antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) market. The investment will add new commercial-scale capabilities for the production of highly potent active pharmaceutical ingredients (HPAPI) and ADC payload-linkers within an existing GMP facility, complemented by dedicated analytical and process development laboratories.
The facility is designed for multipurpose, flexible production across a broad range of payload-linker molecules, with the option to scale further as demand grows. It is expected to be operational in 2028, supporting both clinical and commercial programmes and integrating into Lonza’s broader ADC ecosystem in Visp — which already includes monoclonal antibody manufacture, conjugation and drug product capabilities.
“The rapid growth of the ADC market is driving increasing demand for highly complex payload-linkers,” said Christian Seufert, Head of Advanced Synthesis at Lonza. “This investment reflects our commitment to expanding our capacity to support this next generation of therapies.”
A multi-billion strategic partnership with a US biopharma
A few days later, Lonza announced the expansion of its long-standing collaboration with an undisclosed American biopharmaceutical company. Under the extended agreement, Lonza will launch commercial production for two new biologics programmes, with an option for two additional ones. The cumulative contract value could reach several billion Swiss francs.
Services will be delivered from Lonza’s US commercial biologics sites, complemented by drug substance and drug product development and manufacturing capabilities in Europe. The partnership also includes process optimisation support aimed at significantly reducing cycle times across certain programmes.
Taken separately, both developments point in the same direction — a company continuing to invest strategically in its manufacturing infrastructure while deepening the long-term relationships that underpin its commercial model.
Source: Press Release | ©Lonza