Catalent, a global provider of advanced delivery technologies, development, and manufacturing solutions for drugs, biologics, cell and gene therapies, and consumer health products, has entered into an agreement to acquire the manufacturing and packaging operations of Acorda Therapeutics, a developer of therapies to restore function and improve the lives of people with neurological disorders. The acquisition complements Catalent’s status as a premier U.S.-based partner for companies across dry powder inhaled dose forms. Completion of the deal is expected to occur in the first quarter of this year.
 
Under the terms of the agreement, Catalent will acquire Acorda Therapeutics’ 90,000 square-foot, FDA-inspected CGMP facility in Chelsea, MA, close to Boston Logan International Airport and the thriving biotechnology networks centered around Boston and Cambridge. The site operates best-in-class spray drying capacity, including GEA NIRO PSD-1, PSD-4 and PSD-7 spray drying units, with the latter unit being the largest equipment of its kind in North America, and will provide Catalent with significant commercial-scale capacity for new customer programs. The facility will act as a global center of excellence within the Catalent network for spray-dried dispersion and dry powder encapsulation and packaging. On closing, Acorda Therapeutics’ current workforce at the facility will transition employment to Catalent.
 
Catalent has also entered into a long-term supply agreement with Acorda Therapeutics to continue commercial manufacture of INBRIJA (levodopa inhalation powder) from the Chelsea facility. INBRIJA is a prescription medicine from Acorda Therapeutics indicated for use when needed with hypomobility or OFF episodes in adults with Parkinson’s disease treated with regular carbidopa/levodopa medicine.
 
“Catalent is a premier partner to companies working on multiple forms of inhaled drug delivery, from early-stage development to commercial-scale supply,” said Jonathan Arnold, president of oral and specialty delivery, Catalent. “This acquisition complements our existing U.S.-based capabilities in metered-dose and nasal inhalation by adding an experienced team of people and a premier facility enabling us to provide customers with extended capabilities for commercial-scale filling and packaging of dry powder inhalers.”
 
The Chelsea site will complement and provide downstream capabilities to Catalent’s 180,000 square-foot inhalation development facility in Morrisville, Research Triangle Park, NC, which includes development and manufacturing for metered dose inhalers, nasal sprays, and dry powder inhalers. The Morrisville site offers high-speed commercial-scale manufacturing as well as flexible fill lines for clinical-scale and small batch production.