Tergus Pharma
Tergus Pharma is a US-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in topical and transdermal drug formulation, analytical testing, and GMP manufacturing for pharmaceutical and biotech clients across multiple delivery routes; the company merged with UK-based MedPharm in July 2024 and now operates under the MedPharm name.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersDurham, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Tergus Pharma does
Tergus Pharma is a US-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) founded in 1994 and headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, specializing in topical and transdermal pharmaceutical drug development and manufacturing. The company operates two Durham facilities — a research and innovation center on Emperor Boulevard supporting early-phase formulation development and a Stirrup Creek Drive site for clinical trial material supply and commercial GMP production — and serves pharmaceutical and biotech clients requiring specialized formulation, analytical, scale-up, and manufacturing services across dermal, ungual, ophthalmic, respiratory, mucosal, otic, gastrointestinal, and vaginal delivery routes.
The company's core technology stack centers on proprietary formulation science and in vitro performance testing platforms, including In Vitro Release Testing (IVRT) and In Vitro Permeation Testing (IVPT) models plus specialized nail permeation testing for keratinized tissue delivery. GMP manufacturing capabilities cover semi-solid and liquid drug products with particular strength in hormone-based compounds and highly potent active pharmaceutical ingredients, supported by an FDA inspection that returned a No Action Indicated (NAI) classification with zero Form 483 observations. The service portfolio spans formulation development, analytical and bioanalytical services, raw material and stability testing, research biology and tissue culture, scale-up and process development, clinical trial material manufacturing, commercial manufacturing, packaging and serialization, and generics and value-added generics development.
Tergus generated revenue through professional services engagements — fee-for-service drug development contracts, project-based GMP manufacturing agreements, and integrated development-to-commercial packages — sold via direct enterprise field sales to pharmaceutical and biotech procurement and R&D teams. Pricing was project-quoted based on scope, complexity, and volume, with multi-year contract cadences typical for late-stage and commercial supply relationships. In July 2024, Tergus merged with UK-based MedPharm, a CDMO with overlapping topical and transdermal specialization, with the combined entity now operating under the MedPharm name and offering transatlantic research, clinical supply, and commercial manufacturing capabilities.
Tergus Pharma firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tergus Pharma
- Legal name
- Tergus Pharma
- Website
- https://terguspharma.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Tergus Pharma is a US-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in topical and transdermal drug formulation, analytical testing, and GMP manufacturing for pharmaceutical and biotech clients across multiple delivery routes; the company merged with UK-based MedPharm in July 2024 and now operates under the MedPharm name.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tergus Pharma industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Pharmaceutical CDMO Services
- NAICS
- Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412), Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (3254)
- SIC
- Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Small-Molecule Drug Product (Solid/Oral/Parenteral) CDMO (HLAGABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Clinical Trial Material (CTM) Manufacturing & Supply CDMO (HLAGABAK), Packaging, Labeling & Serialization (Clinical/Commercial) CDMO (HLAGABAJ), Contract Development & Manufacturing for Generics (CDMO/CMO) (HLAIABAI)
Keywords
Where Tergus Pharma is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Durham
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Tergus Pharma business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Contract Manufacturing Services: GMP manufacturing services for semi-solid and liquid drug products supporting clinical trial material supply and commercial production. Revenue generated through project-based contracts with pharmaceutical and biotech companies requiring manufacturing scale-up and commercial supply capabilities.
- Drug Development Services: Formulation development, analytical services, bioanalytical services, stability storage and testing, in vitro performance testing (IVRT/IVPT), and process development. Revenue derived from fee-for-service engagements across the drug development lifecycle from early phase through regulatory submission.
- Regulatory and Quality Services: Quality assurance, regulatory standards support, validation studies, and regulatory submission preparation. Integrated as part of development and manufacturing service packages.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based quoting for drug development and manufacturing services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Tergus Pharma product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tergus Pharma is a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) providing integrated topical and transdermal drug development and manufacturing services for pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Services span formulation development, analytical and bioanalytical testing, IVRT/IVPT performance testing, clinical trial material manufacturing, commercial-scale GMP manufacturing, packaging and serialization, and stability storage and testing across multiple delivery routes.
Product overview
MedPharm (post-merger with Tergus Pharma) operates as an integrated topical and transepithelial CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) offering a comprehensive platform of drug development and manufacturing services. The platform consists of analytical and testing services (Analytical Services, Bioanalytical Services, Raw Material Testing, Stability Storage & Testing, Research Biology & Tissue Culture), formulation development services (Formulation Development, Generics & Value-Added Generics, IVRT/IVPT Performance Testing), manufacturing services (Clinical Trial Material Manufacturing, Commercial Manufacturing, Packaging and Serialization, Scale-Up & Process Development), and specialized delivery route expertise across eight routes including Dermal & Transdermal, Ungual, Ophthalmic, Respiratory, Mucosal, Otic, Gastrointestinal, and Vaginal. The combined entity leverages UK and US facilities to provide end-to-end capabilities from early-phase development through commercial production.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Analytical Services Comprehensive analytical and testing services to support development, quality, and regulatory requirements, delivering reliable data to guide critical decisions for pharmaceutical and biotech clients.
- Bioanalytical Services Specialized bioanalytical testing services for drug development supporting pharmacokinetic and bioequivalence studies for pharmaceutical clients.
- Formulation Development Strategic formulation development for topical and transepithelial drug products, focused on optimizing delivery, stability, and patient performance for pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors.
- In Vitro Release Test (IVRT) In vitro release testing service to evaluate drug release characteristics from topical formulations for pharmaceutical and biotech clients.
- In Vitro Permeation Test (IVPT) In vitro permeation testing service to evaluate drug permeation through skin or other biological membranes for pharmaceutical sponsors.
- Scale-Up & Process Development Process development and scale-up services to translate formulations from lab to manufacturing, ensuring robust, reproducible performance at commercial scale.
- Clinical Trial Material Manufacturing Clinical trial material manufacturing and supply to support early- and late-stage studies, ensuring quality, consistency, and reliable delivery for pharmaceutical sponsors.
- Commercial Manufacturing Scalable GMP manufacturing for semi-solid and liquid drug products, supporting clinical supply through commercial production with quality and consistency.
- Packaging and Serialization Packaging and serialization solutions to support product integrity, compliance, and global distribution requirements for pharmaceutical clients.
- Stability Storage & Testing ICH-compliant stability studies to support product shelf-life, regulatory submissions, and ongoing commercial supply.
- Raw Material Testing Testing services for raw materials used in pharmaceutical manufacturing to ensure quality and compliance.
- Research Biology & Tissue Culture Research biology models and tissue culture services to evaluate pharmacological activity across development for pharmaceutical sponsors.
- Generics & Value-Added Generics Development services for generic topical and transdermal products with enhanced formulation characteristics, supporting bioequivalence and differentiation.
- Cosmetics & OTC Formulation development and manufacturing services for cosmetic and over-the-counter topical products.
Quantifiable outcome
- FDA inspection with zero Form 483 observations
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Tergus Pharma
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Tergus Pharma technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Tergus Pharma partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- MedPharmcoreMerger between Tergus Pharma (US-based) and MedPharm (UK-based CDMO) creating an integrated organization. The combined entity operates under the MedPharm name and offers comprehensive drug development and production services including expanded manufacturing capabilities for topical and transdermal drugs, hormone-based products, and highly potent drugs.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Tergus Pharma competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- MedPharm: UK-based CDMO specializing in topical and transdermal drug development and manufacturing; effectively the combined entity following the July 2024 merger with Tergus Pharma. Directly comparable in formulation science, IVRT/IVPT models, and GMP topical manufacturing capabilities.
- Tapemark: US-based contract manufacturer specializing in topical and transdermal drug products including patches, gels, and creams. Direct competitor for semi-solid and transdermal GMP manufacturing projects in North America.
- DPT Laboratories (Sanofi): Specialty CDMO focused on semi-solid and liquid pharmaceutical manufacturing, with strong capabilities in topical formulations, now operating within Sanofi's contract services business. Comparable in dosage form and customer base.
Broad incumbents
- Catalent: Large diversified CDMO with oral, sterile injectable, and topical capabilities including softgel and specialty dose manufacturing. Overlaps with Tergus on commercial topical and transdermal supply but serves a much broader customer base.
- Recipharm: European-headquartered CDMO offering development and manufacturing services across multiple dosage forms including topicals. Operates at larger scale with broader service portfolio but has overlapping topical formulation capabilities.
- Hovione: Specialty CDMO with strong capabilities in API and particle engineering alongside topical and inhaled drug product development. Comparable in highly potent compound handling and complex formulation science.
- Cambrex (Pfizer CentreOne): Small-molecule API and drug product CDMO with formulation and analytical services relevant to topical generics development. Now operating within Pfizer CentreOne, broader in scope but overlapping on formulation work.
- PCI Pharma Services: Global CDMO offering drug development, manufacturing, packaging, and serialization services across multiple dosage forms including topicals. Broad incumbent with commercial supply and packaging services that overlap with Tergus' late-stage offering.
Emerging players
- CoreRx Pharmaceuticals: CDMO offering formulation development, analytical services, and commercial manufacturing for solid, semi-solid, and liquid dosage forms. Emerging mid-tier peer with overlapping topical and specialty dose capabilities.
- Halo Pharma (Aropha): CDMO focused on oral solid, semi-solid, and liquid dosage forms for pediatric and specialty pharmaceutical products. Emerging competitor in the topical and specialty formulation space with comparable customer profile.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Tergus Pharma social profiles
Digital presenceTergus Pharma compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Tergus Pharma financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tergus Pharma leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Tergus Pharma funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tergus Pharma M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Tergus Pharma
What does Tergus Pharma do?
Tergus Pharma is a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) providing integrated topical and transdermal drug development and manufacturing services for pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Services span formulation development, analytical and bioanalytical testing, IVRT/IVPT performance testing, clinical trial material manufacturing, commercial-scale GMP manufacturing, packaging and serialization, and stability storage and testing across multiple delivery routes.
Is Tergus Pharma a public or private company?
Tergus Pharma is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently acquired.
When was Tergus Pharma founded?
Tergus Pharma was founded in 1994. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Tergus Pharma based?
Tergus Pharma is headquartered in Durham, United States, in the North America region.
How does Tergus Pharma make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Contract Manufacturing Services are the primary driver. The others are drug Development Services and regulatory and Quality Services.
Who are Tergus Pharma's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are MedPharm, Tapemark and DPT Laboratories (Sanofi). Broad incumbents are Catalent, Recipharm, Hovione, Cambrex (Pfizer CentreOne) and PCI Pharma Services. Emerging players are CoreRx Pharmaceuticals and Halo Pharma (Aropha).
Does Tergus Pharma have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tergus Pharma.
What industry is Tergus Pharma in?
Tergus Pharma's product category is Pharmaceutical CDMO Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGABAB, Small-Molecule Drug Product (Solid/Oral/Parenteral) CDMO, with a secondary code of HLAGABAK, Clinical Trial Material (CTM) Manufacturing & Supply CDMO. Its NAICS code is 325412 and its SIC code is 2834.