This week, SpeakPharma interviews Michael
Kallelis, CEO of Mikart, a leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) celebrating its 50th anniversary in the pharmaceutical industry. Based in the United States, Mikart has built a reputation for technical expertise, flexible business terms, and specialized capabilities in pharmaceutical development services.
In this exclusive interview, Kallelis
discusses how Mikart maintains its competitive edge through its Pharmaceutical
Development Services team, quality control framework, and commitment to
customized business solutions. Kallelis also explores the company's focus on
liquid suspensions manufacturing, driven by growing demand from aging
populations and pediatric patients, and explains how Mikart balances
traditional family business values with modern innovation.
HIGHLIGHTS// celebrating
its 50th anniversary/ reputation for technical expertise/ how Mikart
maintains its competitive edge
Mikart is celebrating 50 years in business this year — what are some of the major milestones that have shaped the company's journey?
Over our 50-year
history, we've celebrated many memorable milestones, but one of the most
significant in recent years has been achieving our growth objectives. This
success was driven by the strategic expansion of our Pharmaceutical Development
Services team, the completion of full aggregate serialization in our packaging
department, modernization of our IT systems, enhanced productivity, and our
ability to attract both new and returning customers.
HIGHLIGHTS// expansion of our Pharmaceutical Development Services team/ completion of
full aggregate serialization/ attract both new and returning customers
How has Mikart
maintained its competitive edge in a constantly evolving pharmaceutical
landscape?
Our customers
consistently tell us that what sets us apart is our technical expertise, high
service level, and flexible, customized business terms. At the core of our
competitiveness is our focus on Pharmaceutical Development Services (PDS).
Mikart's PDS opinion
leaders are actively engaged in business development and form early,
collaborative relationships with our customers' technical teams. From the
outset, our prospects and clients work directly with Mikart's experienced
formulation chemists, analytical method developers, and process-oriented
engineers to design robust, reproducible, and efficient processes.
This hands-on
development approach is supported by a comprehensive quality control testing framework — covering raw material testing, in-process checks, on-site microbiological testing, and in-house stability studies. Oversight is provided by our robust Quality Management System, managed by a dedicated Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs team.
The result is
disciplined problem-solving, timely FDA submissions, and a
"right-first-time" philosophy that accelerates time-to-market. We
operate with a strong sense of urgency and consistently deliver a high level of
customer satisfaction.
What truly
differentiates Mikart is our commitment to customized business terms that
eliminate common roadblocks seen with other CDMOs. Our secret sauce is our
exceptional service and flexibility in helping our customers bring innovative
medicines to patients.
HIGHLIGHTS// technical expertise, high service level/ flexible, customized business
terms/ comprehensive quality control testing framework/
dedicated Quality Assurance and
Regulatory Affairs team/ timely FDA submissions/ accelerates time-to-market
What capabilities
or services does Mikart offer today that didn't exist 10 or 20 years ago?
Mikart was an early
leader in serialization, implementing full capabilities well ahead of the
industry timeline. This proactive approach has kept our packaging team in high
demand. We also upgraded our tablet compression equipment to enhance both speed
and reliability.
To support growing
development needs, we invested in new lab-scale development equipment, unit
dose cup filling, sachet packaging, low-humidity suites, and a brand-new suite
dedicated to closed-system manufacturing of liquids and suspensions.
Most recently, we
launched a multi-million dollar expansion of our packaging lines to support
higher-speed tablet filling, powder-in-bottle formats, and new liquid fill
capabilities.
HIGHLIGHTS// early leader in serialization/ upgraded our tablet compression equipment/
multi-million dollar expansion of our packaging lines
Why are liquid
suspensions becoming such a key focus, and how is Mikart positioned?
Formulating suspensions is a complex process that requires specialized expertise and equipment. According to our customers, few mid-market CDMOs do it well — and Mikart is one of them.
There is growing
industry demand for high-quality suspension manufacturing, driven by the needs
of the aging baby boomer population and pediatric patients. For both groups,
swallowing tablets or capsules can be difficult, making oral liquid suspensions
a more practical alternative.
In addition to being easier to administer, suspensions offer pharmacological advantages and can improve dosing compliance. Enhanced flavoring techniques further improve the patient experience — especially for children and infants — by making medicines more palatable.
HIGHLIGHTS// growing industry demand for high-quality suspension manufacturing/ suspensions
offer pharmacological advantages/ improve dosing compliance
How does Mikart
balance tradition with innovation to meet modern customer demands?
At Mikart, we work
hard to preserve the values of a traditional family business, even as we
continue to modernize. Our goal is to make every customer feel like they are
our top priority.
Each customer is
supported by a dedicated project manager who serves as their primary point of
contact, along with direct access to key team members across departments. This
structure ensures our customers are never isolated from our subject matter
experts and can get timely, accurate answers to their questions.
We're also mindful of the "technology trap" — the tendency to pursue every new innovation at the expense of focus and efficiency. Instead, we rely on market data and customer trends to guide our investments, enabling us to concentrate our resources and capital on technologies that meet real market needs.
HIGHLIGHTS// customer is supported by a dedicated project manager/ customers are
never isolated from our subject matter experts/ we rely on market data and
customer trends to guide our investments/ meet real market needs
Looking ahead,
what's in store for Mikart in the next 5-10 years?
Mikart's strategic
plan is now in full motion, and with the momentum we've built, 50 percent
growth is within reach. This projection is backed by a strong pipeline of
annual FDA filings, a growing customer base, and a robust portfolio of active
Pharmaceutical Development Services projects.
As we grow, we remain
committed to delivering exceptional service and continuously evolving to meet
the changing needs of our customers. With renewed
political emphasis on domestic manufacturing for the US market, we are ideally
positioned to support the rapid, cost-effective development and production of
high-quality medicines here at
home.
As we approach our
50th anniversary in the CDMO industry, we celebrate our legacy and look forward
with optimism to the opportunities ahead in the next 5 to 10 years.
HIGHLIGHTS// 50 percent growth is within reach/ strong pipeline of annual FDA filings
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During the second quarter (Q2) of 2025, contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) made substantial investments in specialized therapeutic manufacturing. The quarter also saw CDMOs pursue high-value, complex manufacturing niches, particularly in antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), cell and gene therapies (CGTs) and oligonucleotides.Alongside these trends, Q2 also saw CDMOs
strengthen their footprint in the United States amid concerns over rising
tariffs and unpredictable trade policies being enforced by the Trump
administration.Regeneron Pharmaceuticals committed over US$ 3 billion through a 10-year agreement with Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies to nearly double its US manufacturing capacity for biologics. Under
this agreement, Fujifilm will manufacture and supply drug products for
Regeneron at its large-scale facility in Holly Springs, North Carolina.Thermo Fisher Scientific announced plans to invest an
additional US$ 2 billion in the US over four years, reinforcing its manufacturing and R&D capabilities. With 64 facilities spread across 37 states, Thermo Fisher aims to bolster American innovation and competitiveness. Similarly, Piramal Pharma announced a US$ 90 million investment plan for
expanding two facilities in the US, thereby bringing its total investment in
the country to US$ 570 million. View CDMO Activity Tracker for Q2 2025 (Free Excel Available)Veranova, Carbogen lead ADC wave; Axplora doubles down on HPAPI
production in ItalyThe quarter saw substantial investments
in ADC manufacturing. Veranova announced a US$ 20 million investment in bioconjugation development and cGMP manufacturing
capacity at its Devens, Massachusetts campus. With this investment, Veranova
will be able to provide a more comprehensive suite of services to its partners
developing ADCs and other bioconjugates. Veranova’s total investment in the Devens
facility now stands at over US$ 50 million. Swiss CDMO Carbogen announced
a US$ 31 million co-investment with
an unnamed Japanese investor to expand its capabilities across its Aarau and Neuland (Switzerland)
facilities. The facility will address increasing demand for complex and
high-value compounds such as ADC drug linkers.Axplora announced a further €35 million (US$ 41 million)
expansion of its Farmabios site in Italy,
doubling the facility to approximately 108,000 square meters by mid-2026. This investment raises its total spend on the site to over €80 million (US$ 94.05 million) since 2019, supporting the production of highly potent active pharmaceutical ingredients (HPAPIs). Farmabios now stands as a key hub in Axplora’s global CDMO network.Polish pharmaceutical manufacturer Polfa Tarchomin is positioning itself as a significant
player in the European CDMO market through its
investment in the Center for Development and Production of Highly Potent Drugs.
This 12,000 square meter facility has two
state-of-the-art production lines designed for filling vials and pre-filled
syringes with an annual capacity of 26 million product units.Skyepharma’s projected annual revenues from oncology-linked
activities touched €10 million (US$ 11.2 million). The CDMO’s facility in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier is equipped to handle cytotoxic and cytostatic compounds, and is one of the few facilities in France capable of managing HPAPIs for oral anticancer treatments. View CDMO Activity Tracker for Q2 2025 (Free Excel Available) Athena acquires Medipha Santé, Famar buys MiP Pharma’s German site to strengthen European footprintDuring the quarter, several CDMOs enhanced their strategic capabilities through M&As. Athena Pharmaceutiques acquired
Medipha Santé to build a fully integrated pharmaceutical services platform in Europe. Based in Paris, Athena has strengthened its commercial and regulatory toolbox by bringing aboard Medipha Santé’s 35-strong team, which supports over 100 partner organizations and files approximately 350 dossiers annually with ANSM and other European agencies. With this integration, Athena positions itself as a one-stop CDMO partner.With the acquisition of MiP Pharma’s sterile manufacturing site
in Homburg, Germany, the Famar Group has expanded its capabilities in aseptic and lyophilized fill-and-finish operations. The acquisition has strengthened Famar’s position in sterile drug manufacturing. The CDMO now has seven manufacturing facilities in Europe.PCI Pharma Services’ acquisition of Ajinomoto Althea has established a world-class, large-scale
manufacturing hub in the San Diego region with state-of-the-art aseptic
facilities for prefilled syringes, cartridges and high-potent formulations such
as ADCs. PCI Pharma is now amongst the few US-based CDMOs
capable of comprehensive ADC manufacturing.Samsung Biologics’ strategic spinoff of its biosimilar business stood out as a significant corporate restructuring exercise during the quarter. The separation of Samsung Bioepis, tentatively renamed Samsung Epis Holdings, aims to enhance Samsung Biologics’ strategic focus and build client trust, as it eliminates potential conflicts between CDMO services and proprietary drug development. The move came after Samsung Biologics inked a contract worth 737.3 billion Korean won (US$ 518 million)
with an undisclosed US pharmaceutical company.WuXi Biologics announced a US$ 167 million divestment of its German
facility to Terumo and broke ground on a microbial production
plant in China. National Resilience, which was launched five years ago as the
US drug manufacturer dedicated to broadening access to medicines and
protecting biopharma supply chains, said it is shuttering six of its 10 facilities. The company said the sites were “not being fully utilized.” View CDMO Activity Tracker for Q2 2025 (Free Excel Available) MilliporeSigma, Simtra form
5-year ADC alliance; Silexion partners Catalent for siRNA developmentMerck KGaA’s MilliporeSigma and Simtra struck a five-year strategic alliance, combining
expertise across the ADC value chain to reduce development timelines and
complexity for biopharmaceutical companies. Viralgen collaborated with Trogenix to rapidly scale product supply for TGX-007, an AAV gene therapy for glioblastoma (a type of cancer of the brain and spinal cord). Silexion announced a collaboration with Catalent for small interfacing RNA (siRNA) development and manufacturing. Catalent’s Limoges (France) facility will conduct formulation development and clinical manufacturing for Silexion’s SIL204 candidate, supporting both systemic and intra-tumoral delivery formulations.Skyepharma’s collaboration with Eneapharm through the
Skyehub platform aims to support the treatment of patients suffering from
exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, including those affected by cystic fibrosis
or pancreatic cancer. Orion Corporation reached an agreement with Shilpa Biocare for the
distribution of recombinant human albumin in Europe.Meanwhile,
Aenova announced the launch of its Aenovation program, an
initiative designed to fast-track early development of pharmaceutical
formulations. The program addresses the critical challenges of bioavailability
and time-to-market faced by poorly soluble drug candidates. View CDMO Activity Tracker for Q2 2025 (Free Excel Available) Our view The quarter saw CDMO
developments mimic the broader trends in the pharmaceutical industry, such as
onshoring of critical manufacturing capabilities in the US, consolidation of
specialized expertise through strategic partnerships, and the relentless focus
on emerging therapeutic modalities that promise to transform patient care. With
CDMOs continuing to invest in next-generation manufacturing capabilities, we
expect the sector to play a crucial role in drug innovation.
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