Catalent has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its oral solids development and small-scale manufacturing facility in Somerset, New Jersey to Belgium CDMO Ardena.
With locations in Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands and Sweden, Ardena specializes in small molecule drug development. Financial details of the agreement, which is expected to close in early 2025, have not been disclosed.
The Somerset facility includes a state-of-the-art laboratory, clinical, commercial manufacturing plant for oral dose forms in addition to being Catalent's 'Center of Excellence' for hot melt extrusion technology. It also houses Catalent’s corporate headquarters, which in the near term will remain at the Somerset site during a transition period before shifting to a new location, to be announced at a later date.
The facility is one of over 50 global manufacturing sites included in the $16.5 billion deal with Novo Holdings, parent company to Novo Nordisk, announced back in February. Key to the deal was Novo Holdings plans to sell Catalent's three fill-finish sites acquired in the merger - Anagni, Italy; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; and Brussels, Belgium — to subsidiary Novo Nordisk for an upfront payment of $11 billion.