Curia Enhances Sterile Manufacturing Integrity with Upgraded Aseptic Suites
Ahead of its exhibition at CPHI Americas, Curia announced the completion of its Spanish aseptic upgrades alongside concurrent sterile vial filling and lyophilization expansions underway in Glasgow.
Global research, development, and manufacturing organization, Curia Global, has completed the upgrade to its two aseptic suites located in Valladolid, Spain. The company, which is a featured exhibitor for the upcoming CPHI Americas event, announced the successful completion of the work in a May 19, 2026 press release (1).
Costing USD 4 million, the upgrades have been made in compliance with the European Union’s GMP Annex 1 standards and feature a transition to a fully closed system, which has been designed to strengthen process and product integrity while keeping microbiological risk at a minimum across the whole production. Other enhancements included as part of the upgrade were focused on modernizing core equipment and systems, such as the installation of advanced isolators and upgrades to HVAC, pharmaceutical utilities, automation, and sterilization-in-place processes (1).
“This investment at Valladolid reflects Curia’s commitment to delivering high-quality sterile manufacturing capabilities that align with the growth plans of our customers,” said Philip Macnabb, CEO of Curia, in a company press release (1). “These facility enhancements position us as a stronger partner when it comes to producing increasingly complex sterile products while maintaining the high standards of quality assurance that regulators and customers expect.”
Earlier in the year, in March 2026, the company also revealed the progress it had made on the expansion of its sterile drug product facility in Glasgow, UK. Expected to be completed in 2027, the investment will add an Annex 1 compliant isolator-based vial filling line and lyophilizer to the Glasgow facility, which will provide the facility with the capacity for batches up to 20,000 vials (2).
“This expansion in Glasgow comes as Curia is nearing completion of our significant expansion in our commercial drug product facility in Albuquerque, NM,” commented Ron Aungst, VP, Drug Product Business Unit Operations, in a company press release (2). “Curia has already secured crucial equipment with long lead times to help the Glasgow expansion project stay on track, and we do not anticipate any disruption to current operations during the expansion.”
The revised Annex 1 guidance, published in 2022 and enforced from 2023 (except for section 8.123, which was enforced from 2024), was aimed at eliminating inconsistency apparent in the older version and to also recognize technological advancements. With the revisions, the new guidance placed an emphasis on quality risk management (QRM) and implemented a comprehensive contamination control strategy (CCS) (3).
Curia Global are exhibiting at CPHI Americas and can be found at booth #1509.
References
1. Curia Global. Curia Completes Upgrade of API Aseptic Suites in Valladolid, Spain. Press Release, May 19, 2026.
2. Curia Global. Curia Expands Glasgow Manufacturing Capacity and Enhances Cell Line Development Platform. Press Release, March 19, 2026.
3. European Parliament. Annex 1: Manufacturing of Sterile Medicinal Products. EudraLex Volume 4, August 2022.