Ardena completes acquisition of Catalent drug product manufacturing facility

Belgium-based contract development and manufacturing organization Ardena has completed its acquisition of Catalent’s drug product manufacturing facility in Somerset, New Jersey, marking its expansion into North America.

The facility, spanning over 50,000 square feet of cGMP manufacturing space, specializes in advanced oral dosage forms, including modified-release formulations and Hot Melt Extrusion for enhanced bioavailability. More than 200 scientists and technicians at the site will join Ardena as part of the acquisition.

The deal strengthens Ardena’s capabilities in late-stage and small-scale commercial manufacturing of oral drug products, complementing its existing European operations. The company, which operates facilities in Europe, aims to provide integrated drug development services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms worldwide.

As part of the expansion, Ardena will open a bioanalytical lab at the Somerset facility, adding over 2,500 square feet of analytical testing space. Expected to be operational by the third quarter of 2025, the lab will offer immunochemistry, LC-MS/MS, flow cytometry, and qPCR services, supporting global clinical trials and mirroring the company’s bioanalytical capabilities in Europe.

Ardena, headquartered in Ghent, Belgium, also has facilities in the Netherlands, Sweden and Spain. The CDMO provides services such as solid state chemistry, API and nanomedicines development, as well as manufacturing, analytical and formulation development, drug product manufacturing, bioanalytical, drug discovery and dossier development services.