SK pharmteco Invests $200M to Expand U.S. Drug Manufacturing

SK pharmteco has announced a five-year investment of more than $200 million to expand and upgrade its development and manufacturing operations in the U.S., with a focus on small-molecule drugs and peptides.

The investment is aimed at increasing production capacity and supporting growing demand for pharmaceutical ingredients and development services. SK pharmteco said the plan will also help strengthen the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain.

As part of the expansion, the company will build new development laboratories to support small-molecule and peptide programs from early research through later stages of development.

SK pharmteco is also expanding its peptide manufacturing capabilities. The company plans to add new GMP kilo-scale capacity, which is scheduled to be operational in late 2026, along with advanced liquid chromatography systems to support peptide purification.

The company will also construct new manufacturing suites and upgrade existing GMP facilities to increase its capacity for small-molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Additional investments will go toward utilities, logistics, digital infrastructure and green technologies.

SK pharmteco expects the U.S. expansion to create around 100 long-term, high-skilled jobs. The company said the investment will strengthen domestic capabilities in API and peptide manufacturing and support pharmaceutical customers from development through commercial production.

“This commitment to our domestic operations marks a transformative milestone for SK pharmteco,” said Joerg Ahlgrimm, CEO of SK pharmteco. He added that the expanded infrastructure is intended to meet rising demand while improving operational efficiency and sustainability.

The new investment builds on SK pharmteco’s recent expansion efforts. These include a $6 million investment in its California facility for peptide development, two new manufacturing facilities at its Ireland campus, and a $260 million expansion in South Korea to increase global small-molecule and peptide production.

SK pharmteco is a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with operations across the U.S., Europe and South Korea. Its business focuses on small molecules, peptides and viral vectors, providing development, manufacturing and analytical services to biopharmaceutical companies.

The U.S. investment comes as demand for peptide medicines and complex pharmaceutical ingredients continues to drive capacity expansion across the CDMO industry. For SK pharmteco, the new facilities are intended to broaden its ability to support customers developing and manufacturing small-molecule and peptide therapies.