Croda, Inc., the company that uses smart science to create high-performance ingredients and solutions that improve lives, broke ground on 9 May 2023, its newest manufacturing facility in Lamar, Clinton County, Pennsylvania.

 

In line with Croda Pharma’s strategy to “Empower biologics delivery”, the company is investing in the new 23,680 square-foot facility to manufacture ingredients for drug delivery systems used in novel therapeutic drugs such as mRNA vaccines and gene editing therapies. The facility will support the production of lipids already used in therapeutics and vaccines, such as the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as supporting next generation therapeutics currently being developed, including lipids used for cutting-edge cancer treatments.

 

Croda has a reputation as a leading partner in the development of delivery systems for biologics. As the U.S. looks to expand domestic manufacturing of critical vaccines and therapeutics, Croda’s new Lamar facility, a cooperative project between the federal government and Croda, will play an important role in supporting future medicine discovery.

 

“There are rare moments that a team can contribute to such a significant betterment of humankind” states Bradley Cook, Vice President North American Operations, Croda. “The on-going collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services and its premier biomedical countermeasure development agency, BARDA, has afforded Croda and this team the opportunity and we are extremely excited and proud.”

 

Through the COVID-19 pandemic, Croda proved its ability to scale crucial lipid nanoparticles used across mRNA covid vaccines. Since then, there has been an explosion of mRNA and gene editing projects that use the same delivery system. “Our engagement with both customers and research institutes helps us drive next generation vaccines and therapies through research and clinical development to commercialisation,” said Russ Niksic, Senior Vice President, Croda, Inc.

 

“It is a unique opportunity which really fits with our Croda vision of Smart science to improve lives. Through this investment, we are truly living our purpose. We don’t just say we do Smart science to improve lives; we do it.”, said Daniele Piergentili, Executive Board Member and President – Life Sciences, Croda.

 

Construction will begin this year with the new capacity anticipated by 2025. This facility, part of an 80-acre multipurpose cGMP site, was purchased by the company in 2021, will bring up to 50 new jobs to Pennsylvania which will include engineering, administration, maintenance, operations and logistics roles. From inception, the vision of this site is to fully contribute to Croda’s sustainability goals. 

 

This project has been supported in whole or in part with federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services; Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), through the Department of Defense Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) and Army Contracting Command under contract number W58P05-22-2-0002.