Five years after partnering up with Berkshire Sterile Manufacturing, Sharp Services is buying out the fill-finish CDMO for an undisclosed sum.
Sharp, a 71-year-old subsidiary of Ireland-based UDG Healthcare, focuses on commercial pharmaceutical packaging and supplies for clinical trials. The acquisition allows Sharp to offer small- to medium-scale sterile injectable services, the Pennsylvania company said.
Berkshire, which was established in 2014, originally teamed up with Sharp in 2018.
The acquisition will allow Sharp to meet the growing demand for expertise in manufacturing sterile injectables for rare and orphan disease therapies, CEO Kevin Orfan said in a statement.
Berkshire, which specializes in the filling of vials, syringes and cartridges from its site in Lee, Massachusetts, will remain intact, with Sharp retaining its 228 employees. Berkshire's co-founder and CEO, Shawn Kinney, will join Sharp’s leadership team and continue to lead Berkshire's daily operations.
Berkshire's other co-founder, Andrea Wagner, Ph.D., has decided to explore new opportunities, the companies said, including creating a fund to support women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.