Simtra BioPharma Solutions, operating from two state-of-the-art facilities, one in Bloomington, IN, and another in Halle, Germany, is positioning itself at the forefront of sterile injectable manufacturing through major expansions and strategic global partnerships. In a recent Q&A, CEO Franco Negron discussed the company’s ongoing investments, its alliance with MilliporeSigma, and how Simtra is shaping the future of biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
“Simtra BioPharma Solutions is a leading contract development and manufacturing organization, CDMO, focused on sterile injectable medicines,” says Negron. “We partner with pharmaceutical and biotech companies to deliver high-quality, end-to-end solutions across the drug-product lifecycle.”
From GLP-1 agonists to antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), Simtra is leveraging its technical expertise to support some of the most complex biologic therapies in development. “We’re helping shape the future of sterile injectable therapies through strategic investment, technical expertise, and a culture of excellence,” Negron adds.
Simtra’s Bloomington site is seeing significant growth through two large-scale projects totaling nearly half a billion dollars. “We’ve made two major investments to expand our U.S. footprint,” says Negron. The first, a $250 million expansion to its existing campus, will add three high-speed isolator filling lines—two for prefilled syringes and one for liquid and lyophilized vials—supporting the rising demand for biologics and GLP-1 products.
In a separate initiative, Simtra acquired a nearby 65-acre property featuring a 300,000-square-foot facility. The company is investing $241 million to establish a commercial-scale isolator vial filling line with three lyophilizers for highly potent molecules, including ADCs. “This site will offer flexible, scalable production space for high-potency injectables and enable U.S.-based clients to complete their entire ADC supply chain domestically,” Negron explains. The new site also includes ample room for custom build-to-suit solutions.
Global expansion and partnership
Simtra’s Halle/Westfalen, Germany, facility is also expanding, with a $100 million investment that includes two high-speed manufacturing lines equipped with isolators and a new conjugation and purification suite for ADCs. “The Halle site now mirrors key capabilities of Bloomington, creating strategic redundancy in both the E.U. and the United States,” Negron notes.
A cornerstone of Simtra’s strategy is its five-year strategic alliance with MilliporeSigma, the Life Science business of Merck KGaA. “This partnership combines MilliporeSigma’s expertise in bioconjugation and bulk drug–substance manufacturing with Simtra’s fill-finish capabilities,” says Negron. “It’s a turnkey model that simplifies the complex ADC development process.”
Negron believes alliances like this are reshaping the bioprocessing landscape. “These collaborations enable faster, more efficient development of complex therapeutics,” he says. “As CDMOs evolve into strategic partners, they foster innovation, reduce risk, and accelerate time-to-market—ultimately ensuring that life-saving injectable therapies reach patients worldwide.”
