Lonza has broken ground on a new commercial spray-drying pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Bend, Oregon, marking the next phase of its expansion in the US.
The company held the groundbreaking ceremony on September 14, 2026, with Lonza executives joined by Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, Swiss Consul-General Jonas Brunschwig, Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler and other local and state representatives.
The facility is expected to be completed in 2029 and initially create more than 80 new jobs. It will expand Lonza’s commercial manufacturing capabilities at its Bend site and strengthen the company’s ability to provide spray-drying services for pharmaceutical customers.
New spray-drying capacity
The new facility will feature two PSD-4 spray-drying units. Lonza also plans to incorporate supporting infrastructure for solvent handling and storage, along with energy-efficient utility and process systems.
The project will include enhanced emission-control technologies designed to reduce the facility’s overall energy demand.
The additional capacity will allow Lonza to provide commercial-scale spray-drying services in the US while supporting customers through different stages of pharmaceutical development.
Lonza announced the investment on September 10, four days before the groundbreaking. The company said the expansion will establish it as a leading US provider of commercial-scale spray-drying PSD-4 capacity.
The Bend site will offer spray-dried dispersion (SDD) capacity for both clinical and commercial programs. Lonza also plans to support the development and manufacturing of small molecules and other modalities, including biologics and mRNA.
Supporting complex drug development
Spray drying converts liquid pharmaceutical formulations into fine powders with engineered properties. The technology can help improve the bioavailability of medicines, particularly when drug substances have poor solubility.
Lonza said demand for spray-dried dispersion services has increased as pharmaceutical pipelines contain more complex molecules and formulation challenges.
The Bend expansion is intended to address that demand by adding commercial-scale capacity in the US. It will also give pharmaceutical customers access to an integrated development and manufacturing platform closer to the US market.
“The growing number of complex drug molecules is increasing demand for advanced particle engineering technologies,” said Christian Seufert, Head of Advanced Synthesis at Lonza.
The company said its Bend team has decades of experience in spray drying and particle engineering. The expanded facility will allow that expertise to support customers from development through commercialization.
Nearly 50 years of pharmaceutical manufacturing in Bend
The new facility expands operations at a Bend site that has supported pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers for nearly 50 years.
Lonza said the site has used particle engineering and spray-drying technologies to support pharmaceutical programs from early research through commercial manufacturing.
The site has contributed to the evaluation or development of more than 2,000 potential medicines, according to the company.
The new project will build on that existing manufacturing base while increasing the site’s commercial-scale capabilities.
Lonza Site Head Kathy Schwiebert said the investment will expand manufacturing capabilities, create skilled jobs and support the company’s pharmaceutical customers.
The company expects the project to strengthen its US manufacturing footprint while bringing production capabilities closer to key customers.
Lonza also said the expansion will contribute to more regionalized and resilient supply chains for critical therapies.
Project timeline and jobs
Construction is now underway following the September 14 groundbreaking. Lonza expects the facility to reach completion in 2029.
The company has not disclosed the total capital value of the project in the information provided.
Once operational, the expansion is expected to initially create more than 80 new jobs in Bend. The project will also expand Lonza’s commercial spray-drying capacity and support future capacity additions as demand develops.
The facility is part of Lonza’s broader strategy to expand its US presence and invest in manufacturing capabilities serving increasingly complex pharmaceutical products. A separate $6.5 billion Eli Lilly pharmaceutical facility in Houston’s Generation Park is also expanding the US manufacturing footprint, highlighting the scale of investment flowing into domestic drug production.
Project Factsheet: Lonza Commercial spray-drying pharmaceutical manufacturing facility
- Location: Bend, Oregon
- Developer/Operator: Lonza
- Latest milestone: Groundbreaking
- Groundbreaking date: September 14, 2026
- Expected completion: 2029
- Initial jobs: More than 80
- Spray-drying equipment: Two PSD-4 units
- Technology: Spray-dried dispersion and particle engineering
- Additional infrastructure: Solvent handling and storage
- Energy features: Energy-efficient utility and process systems
- Emissions: Enhanced emission-control technologies
- Capital investment: Not disclosed in the provided announcement
Leave a Reply