The Drug, Chemical & Associated Technologies Association (DCAT) opened DCAT Week 2026 with its Member Company Announcement Forum.

The kickoff to the annual event in New York City, underway from March 23–26, 2026, showcased 20 companies. These were selected based on their announcements’ “news priority, criticality, and interest” to DCAT member companies.

The following is a summary of highlights from the presentations, supplemented by additional information provided by some of the companies.

Agno Pharmaceutical Services

Agno is expanding its U.S. footprint, according to founder and CEO James Chen, PhD. The company has acquired new space in Eugene, Ore. and Bethlehem, Pa., to add to two sites in China. Chen said the added capacity will help support Agno’s position as a global contract research, development, and manufacturing organization (CRDMO). Specifically, the expansions will round out Agno’s active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and drug product operations.

Axplora

Martin Meeson, CEO, discussed two multimillion dollar investments, in Gropello Cairoli, Italy, and Le Mans, France. In Gropello, a $60 million tranche will fund an expansion ticketed for readiness in the first quarter of 2027. The result will be an integrated R&D hub and manufacturing suites for highly potent APIs. Meanwhile, in Le Mans, a $35 million sum makes Axplora a “one-stop shop” for bringing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) to market.

“One of the things that I really push my team, and I pushed this room last year, was to look at the depths and strengths of the partnerships that we have,” Meeson said. “We can use that to look toward the future and how we build our investment as we go forward.”

Boston Institute of Biotechnology (BIB / BiBo Pharma)

Peng Jiao, CEO, delivered remarks for this CDMO partner that offers current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) and non-GMP services. BIB’s services are in the mammalian, microbial, cell therapy, and gene therapy areas.

“We believe that someday, we will be able to achieve—cover—more of the population,” Jiao said. “And with a population even at a place now hard to reach.”

Cambrex

Chief Operating Officer Claudio Russolo spoke, fresh off news of completion of initial engineering studies for an API manufacturing plant. That facility, in Charles City, Iowa, is part of a $120 million investment in expansion of U.S. API capabilities. Groundbreaking is expected to occur in late 2026.

FUJIFILM Biotechnologies

COO Maja Pedersen’s presentation outlined $8 billion in investments, designed to de-risk supply in multiple ways. With a modular approach to biomanufacturing, the company said, it can scale drug substance and product across its CDMO network.

Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing

Grand River disclosed a $90 million investment in its fifth GMP manufacturing site, in Grand Rapids, Mich. CEO Denis Johnson said this is adjacent to one of GRAM’s existing buildings, and expands its workforce to 1000 people. Complete with a sterile fill line, this facility will be commercially available in the first quarter of 2027.

Hovione

Hovione’s Vice President of Technical Operations for the Americas, David Basile, delivered the company’s Member Company Announcement Forum presentation. Basile will be speaking exclusively with Contract Pharma during DCAT Week, so check back for more on Hovione’s latest.

Terumo Medical Care Solutions—Pharmaceutical Solutions Division

New from this division of Terumo is its €150 million acquisition of a CDMO sterile drug product plant in Germany. Equivalent to US$174.1 million, this investment also grows Terumo’s workforce by 150, according to division president Marco Chiadò Piat. Full integration is expected by October 2026. Along with that, an additional expected investment of US$50 is being earmarked for things like cleanroom expansion.

West Pharmaceutical Services

A lot is happening with West Pharmaceutical Services, which is rebranding its contract manufacturing and other services as West Vantage. Aileen Ruff-Patry, president, contract manufacturing, gave the company’s presentation at the Member Company Announcement Forum. Therein, she discussed the company’s progress in pens and autoinjectors by touting two Centers of Excellence (COEs). A new one in Indiana will be ready to receive assets as of April 2026. The other is an expanded facility in Ireland.

“We do still have additional footprint to take on new opportunities, but we already are scaling up several high-volume drug delivery programs,” Ruff-Patry said.

Wilmington PharmaTech Company

As the result of a Curewell Capital investment, Curewell Operating Partner Kent Payne, PhD, is now Wilmington PharmaTech Managing Director. Payne talked about Wilmington’s $50 million investment in two new, 10-kL API suites in its namesake city in Delaware. This is part of the second phase in a multiyear effort by the company to grow its U.S. footprint.

Stay tuned for more information from Lonza, Samsung Biologics, and other companies that presented.

That completes Contract Pharma’s review of the first day of DCAT Week 2026. Exclusive interviews will be following in the days to come.

DCAT will publish a recap of the Member Company Announcement Forum in the April 10 issue of its online publication.

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