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As the largest member of NH Life Sciences (NHLS), with more than 1,500 employees, Lonza is a global leader in biopharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing. It has leveraged its partnerships with NHLS and educational institutions to scale its growth.
Its expanding facility, founded in the 1990s as Celltech, at the Pease Tradeport is a cornerstone for the Seacoast’s life sciences hub, which now includes neighbors like Novocure and Pirouette Pharma.
Executive Site Director Kevin Kerls explained that Portsmouth is a strategic location for the internationally operating contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), which specializes in biopharmaceuticals and cell therapy. Lonza Portsmouth is recognized for its specialization in mammalian biologics to produce protein-based drugs, notably biological cancer treatments.
“We are in a position where we're able to help some of these innovator companies who are identifying new molecules to bring those to market and help improve lives of people everywhere,” Kerls said. “I'm really excited to be a part of that and help fuel the growth of this industry.”
The Portsmouth site is a key U.S. manufacturing center for Lonza, with space and infrastructure to expand, while still facilitating close partnerships with pharmaceutical clients located in nearby Boston. This U.S. plant has become even more important amid the current geopolitical challenges with trade.
“We have a really special relationship with the pharmaceutical company Vertex, based out of Boston,” Kerls said. “We have this joint partnership where we're building the plant, they're creating the process, and we're helping them scale that up to manufacture a first-of-its-kind Type 1 diabetes cell therapy.”
To keep pace with demand, Lonza relies on partnerships to support workforce development and employee retention.
“We have great partnerships with a number of educational institutions in the New Hampshire area,” Kerls said. “Probably the premier relationship we have, and the most productive, has been with the University of New Hampshire. UNH is a top-tier research university and is a fantastic resource for the type of work that we do. We love partnering with the students and the employees of tomorrow to help them get into the industry.”
And by partnering with organizations like NHLS, Lonza can better collaborate with other industry professionals.
“Prior to NHLS, we had life sciences companies in New Hampshire, but we didn't coordinate our efforts,” he said. “NHLS has helped to bring us together into a network, and we've realized that we have a lot of common interests. We all benefit from growing the ecosystem for life sciences in southern New Hampshire.”
Lonza Portsmouth’s continued growth is important not just for its strategic importance for U.S. biopharmaceutical manufacturing, but also for its impact in creating life-saving therapies here in the New Hampshire Seacoast. Through its partnerships, it is strengthening the industry statewide and creating pathways to life science careers.