Cambrex

Name

Cambrex

Legal name

Cambrex Corporation

Website

https://cambrex.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Contract Development and Manufacturing (CDMO)

NAICS

Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Small-Molecule API & Intermediates CDMO (HLAGABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Small-Molecule Drug Product (Solid/Oral/Parenteral) CDMO (HLAGABAB), Clinical Trial Material (CTM) Manufacturing & Supply CDMO (HLAGABAK), Drug Substance–Drug Product Integrated CDMO (HLAGABAG)

Keywords

• Contract development manufacturing
• Active pharmaceutical ingredients
• Drug substance services
• Drug product formulation
• Analytical testing services

Headquarters

HQ city

East Rutherford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Drug Substance Development and Manufacturing: Custom API development and manufacturing services including process development, scale-up, and commercial manufacturing. Revenue generated through project-based contracts, development fees, manufacturing fees, and potentially milestone payments tied to clinical and regulatory milestones.
2. Generic API Manufacturing: Supply of generic active pharmaceutical ingredients from catalog products and custom manufacturing. Revenue from product sales of generic APIs, intermediates, derivatives, and chiral compounds.
3. Analytical Services: Comprehensive analytical testing and characterization services including method development, validation, stability testing, and microbiology services.
4. Drug Product Services: Formulation development and clinical trial manufacturing services from early-phase through commercial scale, including tablet and capsule manufacturing.
5. Stability Storage Services (via Q1 Scientific): Pharmaceutical stability storage and sample management services through Q1 Scientific subsidiary.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cambrex is a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) that develops and manufactures active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and drug products for pharmaceutical and biotech clients. The company provides end-to-end drug substance services (custom and generic API development and manufacturing, peptides, HPAPIs, controlled substances, biocatalysis, continuous flow), drug product services (oral solid dose formulation and clinical trial manufacturing), and analytical services (method development, stability testing, microbiology) across facilities in North America and Europe.

Product overview

Cambrex is a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) offering integrated drug substance and drug product services across the entire drug lifecycle. The portfolio is organized around three core pillars: Drug Substance Services (custom API development and manufacturing, generic APIs, specialty solutions including continuous flow, biocatalysis, HPAPIs, controlled substances, and complex synthetics), Analytical Services (comprehensive testing, solid state chemistry, stability storage via Q1 Scientific subsidiary, and microbiology), and Drug Product Services (formulation development and clinical trial manufacturing). The company has expanded capabilities through acquisitions including Snapdragon Chemistry (flow chemistry, custom peptides, complex synthetics, proprietary Z-Flow™ LPPS technology and LabOS platform for automated process development) and Q1 Scientific (stability storage). Services span from early-phase IND enabling through commercial manufacturing, covering over 90 generic APIs, controlled substances, and specialized peptide/oligonucleotide manufacturing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Snapdragon Chemistry: Specialized process development, flow chemistry, GMP manufacturing, custom peptide synthesis, complex synthetics, continuous process technologies, and reactor build and design services.
• Q1 Scientific

Products and services

• Drug Substance Services Comprehensive drug substance development and manufacturing services including custom API development, custom API manufacturing, generic API manufacturing, and specialty solutions (biocatalysis, continuous flow, highly potent APIs, controlled substances, complex synthetics, crystallization) for pharmaceutical and biotech clients.
• Analytical Services Full suite of analytical testing services including method development and validation, release and ICH stability testing, material characterization, elemental impurities, compendial testing, impurity identification, nitrosamine testing, extractables and leachables testing, and reference standards.
• Drug Product Services Drug product development and manufacturing including formulation development and clinical trial manufacturing for oral solid dose formulations (tablets, capsules) at early through late phases for pharmaceutical clients.
• Generic API Manufacturing Leading global supplier of generic APIs from sites in Italy, Sweden, and the USA. Portfolio of over 90 generic APIs, intermediates, derivatives, and chiral compounds including controlled substances, serving generic pharmaceutical firms requiring off-patent API supply.
• Peptide Development and Manufacturing Cutting-edge peptide development and manufacturing combining solid phase synthesis (SPPS) and liquid phase peptide synthesis (LPPS) capabilities for early-stage clinical development through large-scale GMP manufacturing, meeting growing demand for peptide-based therapeutics.
• Snapdragon Chemistry Services Specialized chemistry solutions provider offering process development, GMP manufacturing, flow chemistry, custom peptide synthesis, complex synthetics, and reactor build and design services using advanced software and equipment for biopharmaceutical clients.
• Q1 Scientific Stability Storage Stability storage and sample management company providing pharmaceutical storage conditions meeting ICH Q1A requirements through walk-in and reach-in chambers for pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Process mass intensity reduced by approximately 80% in organocatalytic process for obicetrapib
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NewAmsterdam PharmacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2026Collaboration on development of sustainable organocatalytic process for obicetrapib, resulting in American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Challenge Award. Achieved 80% PMI reduction, 70% cycle time reduction, and 50% cost reduction in manufacturing.
• Alexion PharmaceuticalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology transfer and process development collaboration for danicopan, a complement Factor D inhibitor for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. Included significant process improvements in yield, PMI, and cycle times.
• Q1 ScientificcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCambrex company providing stability storage and sample management capabilities. Q1 Scientific offers pharmaceutical storage conditions meeting ICH Q1A requirements through walk-in and reach-in chambers.
• FlogasminorOthersCorporate Power Purchase Agreement (CPPA) partnership through Q1 Scientific to source renewable electricity from Cronalaght Wind Farm, covering approximately 50% of Waterford site electricity demand.
• Snapdragon ChemistrycoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerAcquired by Cambrex, Snapdragon operates as a Cambrex company specializing in process development, continuous flow chemistry, and advanced manufacturing technologies including Z-Flow LPPS.
• SanoficoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-authored study on RIPK1 inhibitor oditrasertib demonstrating continuous flow manufacturing process for pharmaceutical production.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lonza Group: Global CDMO offering drug substance and drug product services across small molecules, peptides, and biologics. Most directly comparable to Cambrex as a leading one-stop-shop CDMO serving pharma and biotech customers.
• Catalent: Major CDMO with drug substance, drug product, and clinical supply capabilities. Comparable to Cambrex in providing integrated development and manufacturing services to large pharma and biotech clients.
• Siegfried Holding: Swiss-based CDMO specializing in small-molecule API manufacturing and drug product services. Highly comparable to Cambrex's custom API, generic API, and oral solid dose drug product offerings.
• Recipharm: European CDMO with API and drug product manufacturing capabilities. Comparable to Cambrex as a mid-sized CDMO serving both innovator and generic pharma customers.
• WuXi AppTec: Global CRO/CDMO with extensive small-molecule and biologics capabilities. A peer across the drug development and manufacturing value chain, particularly for biotech customers.
• Bachem: Specialist CDMO in peptide and oligonucleotide API manufacturing. Most directly comparable to Cambrex's peptide platform (Z-Flow LPPS) and incremental peptide capacity at Karlskoga.

Broad incumbents

• Thermo Fisher Scientific (CDMO/Patheon): Through Patheon and its pharma services division, Thermo Fisher offers comprehensive CDMO services including API, drug product, and clinical supply. A scaled, diverse incumbent competing with Cambrex across drug substance and drug product.
• Charles River Laboratories: Provides discovery, preclinical, and manufacturing services to pharma and biotech. Overlaps with Cambrex in analytical and drug substance support and competes for biotech development budgets.

Others

• Eurofins Scientific: Global laboratory testing services provider with strong pharma/biopharma analytical and CMC testing capabilities. Comparable to Cambrex's analytical services and Q1 Scientific stability storage offerings.

Emerging players

• Samsung Biologics: South Korea-based large-scale CDMO expanding from biologics into synthetic and oligonucleotide manufacturing. An emerging adjacency to Cambrex in the contract API manufacturing space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cambrex
• Xx.com/cambrex

Compliance15 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A6 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cambrex