Under its new operating model that went into effect this month, Swiss-based contract development and manufacturing organization Lonza is now comprised of three business platforms, replacing three autonomous divisions with underlying business units.
Designed to position the company as a pure-play CDMO, the “One Lonza” strategy — which was first unveiled in December 2024 — is meant to operate the company’s human and infrastructure assets in a consistent and harmonized manner, resulting in efficiencies that enhance customer and shareholder value.
The operating model includes three new business platforms: Integrated Biologics (mammalian manufacturing and drug product services), Advanced Synthesis (hybrid chemistry and biology solutions), and Specialized Modalities (cell and gene, mRNA, microbial manufacturing, and bioscience).
Christian Seufert, Lonza’s head of Advanced Synthesis which includes the former Small Molecules division and Bioconjugation business unit, sat down with Pharma Manufacturing Editor-in-Chief Greg Slabodkin during last month’s DCAT Week 2025 in New York City to discuss the organizational changes at Lonza.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
GS: What is the crux of the idea behind the One Lonza strategy’s simplified organizational structure?
Christian Seufert: With the previous divisional setup, we created a structure that was quite successful, but at times more complicated to navigate for our customers. With the One Lonza strategy and the new operating model, we harmonize the structure across the three new business platforms, in order to make it easier for our customers to navigate Lonza’s different service offerings.
GS: As part of the new strategy, Lonza announced it will exit the Capsules & Health Ingredients (CHI) business at the appropriate time and in the best interest of shareholders and stakeholders. You served as president of CHI. Why does CHI not fit with Lonza’s core CDMO business?
Seufert: During the investor update on December 12 [2024], we clearly positioned as a pure-play biopharma and pharmaceutical CDMO. When you look at the Capsules & Health Ingredients business, it is a great business leading in all its different business segments, but the nature of the product business is very different from the CDMO model. It is the right decision to exit this part of the business and seek better ownership at the right time. From that perspective, there’s really no time pressure.
GS: Despite Lonza’s intention to exit the CHI business, the company continues to boost capsule manufacturing capacity at its facilities in Rewari, India and Suzhou, China. What’s the reason behind that investment?
Seufert: On December 15, 2024, we announced capacity additions at these two important sites. We also continue to invest in our new capsule manufacturing technology. If you look at the financial performance of the business, it’s very solid and robust. We’re going to continue to focus on developing the business to ensure its future success.
GS: When you look at your new role as head of Advanced Synthesis at Lonza, what excites you about that business?
Seufert: On a personal level, I’m really grateful for the opportunity, because Advanced Synthesis focuses very much on oncology, with our bioconjugation business and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) offering, as well as other severe illnesses, having experienced, like so many, the devastating impact of such illnesses in my close family first-hand.
In the fourth quarter of 2024, we announced investments in our bioconjugation capacities in Visp. What excites me about Advanced Synthesis is the growth opportunity with the large number of additional growth projects that we will be working on. During the investor update in December, we’ve shared more details, with a substantial number of approved and prospective growth projects in our pipeline.
GS: The new Advanced Synthesis business platform includes the former small molecules division and the bioconjugation business unit, which previously was part of Lonza’s former biologics division. Is there a synergy there?
Seufert: The combination of these technology platforms makes sense. With our small molecules technology platform we focus on complex, difficult to manufacture molecules, amongst other drug-linkers, providing our CDMO services primarily to leading innovators in our space. With our bioconjugation technology platform, we perform the conjugation step to link the drug-linker to the antibody.
What excites me about the new One Lonza strategy and new operating model is that we can offer our customers fully integrated services including antibody development and manufacturing as well as fill & finish services, both technology platforms of our Integrated Biologics business platform.
GS: The crown jewel in Lonza’s bioconjugation capabilities is at your facility in Visp, Switzerland. What can you tell me about your infrastructure there?
Seufert: When you look at our manufacturing footprint, most of our bioconjugation activities and a large part of our small molecule activities are in Visp today. This is, as you call it, the crown jewel and certainly our Center of Excellence for the Advanced Synthesis business platform.
We just announced capacity expansions in Q4 2024 in Visp, an investment into a dedicated conjugation suite with one large biopharma customer. The new suite is expected to be operational in 2027. We are also investing in two additional manufacturing suites, 1,200L each, which will be operational in 2028.
These activities have been complemented by the Synaffix acquisition, really interesting capabilities at our site in Oss, Netherlands.
From a drug developer’s perspective, Lonza provides integrated end-to-end solutions from early development to commercial manufacturing at scale, spanning mAb, drug-linker, conjugation, and then fill and finish, simplifying the process and supply chain. It is a good position to be in, and we’re quite proud of that.
