Cambrex will invest $120 million to expand its U.S. operations, the East Rutherford-based contract development and manufacturing organization announced Oct. 22. 

The boost comes amid a national push to reshore drug manufacturing as the Trump administration imposes tariffs on pharmaceutical product imports.  

According to Cambrex, the latest investment addresses increased demand for active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) development and manufacturing. 

The injection will support a 40% increase in the large-scale manufacturing capacity of the company’s site in Charles City, Iowa, reaching nearly 1 million liters. 

Additionally, Cambrex expects to add at least 30 new positions at the site, a company representative told NJBIZ. 

That facility was among several included in Cambrex’s five-year, $100 million investment strategy, which added more than 150,000 square feet of capacity across its North American and European network.  

Those projects were completed in 2024, the representative confirmed. 

Strong demand

“Our customers, in partnership with federal and state agencies, are reshoring drug manufacturing in the U.S., the world’s largest pharmaceutical market. Local API production is vital for supply chain security and resilience, and Cambrex will play a key role,” Cambrex CEO Thomas Loewald said in a statement. 

“We are seeing very strong demand from our customers to partner with Cambrex to utilize this expanded capacity,” he added. 

Loewald noted that its Iowa facility is the nation’s largest independent API manufacturing site. 

“With rising demand for U.S.-based supply chains for critical therapies, Cambrex is focused on supporting the long-term stability of pharmaceutical manufacturing in the United States,” Loewald added.