Halo completes purchase of Abbott NJ facility

Halo Pharmaceutical, a privately-held US specialty drug company, has completed its acquisition of the Whippany, New Jersey manufacturing and  research facility from US health care major Abbott Laboratories.

At over 200,000 square feet, Halo's facilities encompass highly-diverse  manufacturing and warehousing capabilities, including formulation  services, operations for the aseptic filling of topical ointments, solid  dosage forms (tablets and capsules), liquids, suppositories, associated  packaging (tablet, powder, liquids and hospital-unit dose) and ample  laboratory space for formulation development, preclinical and clinical  supplies and support of commercial operations. According to the firm, an  additional asset is the site's capability to manufacture controlled  substances and an active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing unit.

Halo's initial complement of personnel will consist of close to 80  highly-experienced pharmaceutical industry veterans from Abbott, and is  expected to grow rapidly as the business develops further. "We are  combining the best elements of traditional pharma with the innovation,  agility and strong work ethic of a startup company," said Mohd Asif,  chief financial officer and head of the transaction team.