Chiesi backs growth plans with a €430m new plant in Italy

Italy's Chiesi Group has revealed plans to spend €430 million ($464 million) on a new therapeutics manufacturing facility at its site in Milan, extending its efforts to align its capacity with its plan for global growth.

The 90-year-old specialist in rare diseases, respiratory health, and specialty care medicines – "air, care, and rare", as it puts it – has bought a site in Nerviano to house its new facility, which will specialise in the production of sterile biological products, dry powder inhalers, and carbon minimal inhalers.

The site was originally built by Farmitalia Carlo Erba in the 1960s and changed hands several times before being shut down last year. Chiesi's investment – which will take place between 2025 and 2030 – comes just a few months after it opened a new €400 million biotech unit at its main campus in Parma dedicated to developing and producing monoclonal antibodies, enzymes, and other proteins.

The privately held and family-owned company is also expanding its production in facilities in Blois, France, and Santana de Parnaíba, Brazil, to support what has been very strong growth in recent years.

Annual revenues at Chiesi have almost doubled in the last decade to reach more than €3 billion, fuelled by a slew of licensing and M&A deals, including the $1.48 billion takeover of Amryt Pharma in 2023, which has since been rewarded with the launch of Filsuvez (birch triterpenes) for rare skin disorder epidermolysis bullosa.

The new plant will also help Chiesi to meet strategic objectives on ESG (environmental, social, governance), including a goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2035. It has invested €350 million in the last few years to develop inhalers that use propellants with low potential to cause global warming and reduce emissions by up to 90%.

A company statement indicated that the 124,000 sq. m. site will be re-developed and modernised, with around 3,000 sq. m. of lab space when completed and the creation of approximately 300 new jobs by 2029. It will also feature a solar park with the capacity to make the plant self-sufficient in energy, while Chiesi intends to regenerate a 20,000 sq. m. woodland adjacent to the industrial site.

"We chose Nerviano for its strategic location and the potential of the industrial area, which we will transform into a centre of excellence for the production of next-generation inhalers," said Giuseppe Accogli, chief executive of Chiesi.

"This investment strengthens our presence in Italy and Europe, consolidates our leadership in the sector, and creates new growth opportunities for the local community."