ESTEVE CDMO Expands Spray Drying Capacity in Girona
Plans for a further 3,000-square-metre spray drying and high-potency containment unit at Celrà facility in Girona, Spain, have been announced by the CDMO.
ESTEVE CDMO has announced a new 3,000-square-meter production unit at its Celrà facility in Girona, Spain, building on the EUR 100 million investment program the company announced in June 2024 (1,2). The new unit will house additional spray drying equipment within purpose-built, high-potency containment suites, with a GEA Pharma-SD PSD-2 spray dryer scheduled to be fully operational in Q1 2027 and a PSD-3 expected to follow later that year.
The new building has been designed with the infrastructure to accommodate a commercial-scale PSD-4 spray dryer, with a second PSD-4 and a further building project, which is also in planning (1). These investments being made by the company are positioned to strengthen its capabilities in amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) solutions and its handling of highly potent compounds. Up to 15 new staff are expected to be recruited once PSD-2 and PSD-3 operations are fully underway.
"As our work in Girona progresses, it is important that we remain aligned with the needs of our partners, and adding spray drying capabilities can help solve problems they face with the characteristics of development pipelines, such as stability, poor solubility, potency, and scalability," commented Joan Petit, President at ESTEVE CDMO, in a company press release (1). "Proactive investment in our facilities helps us deliver on our vision to be a global CDMO leader in small molecule APIs that is trusted by partners for quality and reliability."
The Girona expansion follows ESTEVE CDMO's separately announced USD 15.5 million upgrade of its Morton Grove, Illinois facility, set for completion later in 2026, reflecting a period of sustained investment across the company's global manufacturing network (3).
Announced alongside the facility news, a new ESTEVE CDMO brand identity has been designed to establish a more consistent global presence and articulate the company's values to partners and stakeholders. Andrea Oro, Global Head of Commercial Operations and Strategy and Managing Director US, added, in the press release (1), that the new identity reflects the company's collaborative approach to partnering: "Excellence is embedded in everything we do — it defines our mindset and guides our actions at every stage. By truly listening, aligning, and collaborating with our partners, we transform our shared goal of improving lives together into a real outcome. That is what we call the science of collaboration."
ESTEVE CDMO is a pure-play contract development and manufacturing organization specializing in small-molecule APIs, high-potent APIs, and advanced pharmaceutical intermediates. With expertise in complex chemistry, advanced containment, and ASD technologies, the business serves pharmaceutical and biotech clients from early development through to commercial supply across six global manufacturing sites in Spain, the United States, Mexico, and China.
References
ESTEVE. ESTEVE CDMO Plans Additional Spray Dryers and Containment in Girona, Spain, and Launches New Brand. Press Release, March 20, 2026.
ESTEVE. ESTEVE Will Invest 100 Million Euros in the Construction of a New Plant at its Industrial Centre in Celrà (Girona). Press Release, June 28, 2024.
The Pharma Navigator. ESTEVE Invests Millions into Chicago Facility Expansion. News, March 6, 2026.