Xellia Pharma expands US production with acquisition of Ben Venue site

Danish specialty drug company Xellia Pharmaceuticals has acquired manufacturing facilities in Bedford, Ohio, USA, occupied by Ben Venue Laboratories, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jordon-based Hikma Pharmaceuticals (LSE: HIK). Financial details are not disclosed.

Under the terms of the deal, Xellia has acquired substantial parts of the site including several new manufacturing units for sterile injectables which are not currently operational. Hikma will retain the remaining facilities including the Quality and Development Center which has been operated by its subsidiary, West-Ward Injectables, since it acquired the site in 2014.

In 2014, Hikma acquired the Ben Venue assets from Germany’s Boehringer Ingelheim, following its agreement to purchase the assets of Bedford Laboratories. Under the terms of the deal announced today, Xellia has acquired substantial parts of the Ben Venue site, including four sterile injectable manufacturing plants.

These plants are not currently operational. Hikma will retain the Quality and Development Centre, an independent building with R&D laboratories, which has been integral to the tech transfer of the Bedford products to Hikma’s own manufacturing facilities. Since Hikma acquired the Ben Venue site, it has transferred a large number of modern, high quality machines, including lyophlizers and filling lines, to its manufacturing facilities in Portugal, Germany and the USA.