CordenPharma locations span Germany, France, Italy, and the United States. See where the CDMO is headquartered and what each manufacturing site produces.
CordenPharma is a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) headquartered in Plankstadt, Germany, near Heidelberg. Its manufacturing network covers Germany, France, Italy, and the United States, with sites focused on small-molecule APIs, peptides, sterile injectables, and finished drug products. The company is part of International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG), a privately held industrial holding company.
Where Is CordenPharma Headquarters?
Plankstadt, Germany is the corporate seat of CordenPharma International GmbH and the base for the group's commercial, quality, regulatory, and supply-chain leadership. The town sits in the Rhine-Neckar region, one of Europe's densest pharmaceutical and chemical clusters.
CordenPharma grew largely through acquisitions, so the headquarters functions more as a coordination hub than a production campus. Manufacturing, testing, and release take place at the individual sites, each of which holds its own regulatory registrations and inspection history.
CordenPharma Locations at a Glance
The table below summarizes the main locations. Site responsibilities shift as capacity is added or consolidated, so treat this as a general guide rather than a permanent roster.
| Location | Country | Primary focus |
|---|---|---|
| Plankstadt | Germany | Corporate headquarters; group commercial and quality functions |
| Frankfurt | Germany | Small-molecule and complex APIs, including highly potent compounds |
| Freiburg | Germany | Complex API and advanced intermediate manufacturing |
| Chenove | France | Small-molecule API manufacturing |
| Latina | Italy | Sterile injectables and fill-finish |
| Caponago | Italy | Sterile liquid and semi-solid dosage forms |
| Boulder, Colorado | United States | Peptide API and peptide drug product |
Quick facts: CordenPharma is privately held by ICIG, serves both clinical and commercial programs, and has expanded its peptide business in response to rising demand for peptide-based therapies.
What Each Region Does Best
Germany
Germany is the center of gravity for small-molecule and complex API development and manufacturing, including potent compounds handled in contained facilities. Process development, analytical method work, and scale-up often begin there before moving into larger equipment.
France and Italy
Chenove, near Dijon, France, produces small-molecule APIs. The Italian sites specialize in sterile manufacturing, including injectables, fill-finish, and liquid or semi-solid dose forms, which is the part of the supply chain many sponsors struggle to secure.
United States
Boulder, Colorado handles peptide API and peptide drug product for clinical and commercial programs. A US footprint shortens the supply chain for American sponsors and keeps a domestic manufacturing option open for products tied to federal procurement requirements.
Why the Location List Matters to Sponsors
Where a contractor manufactures affects timelines, cost, and regulatory risk. Four factors come up in nearly every vendor evaluation:
- Technology transfer. Moving a process between sites takes months of engineering, analytical, and validation work.
- Regulatory inspections. The FDA and EMA inspect each facility individually, so one site's inspection history does not transfer to another.
- Supply chain resilience. Multiple sites give sponsors a fallback when a line goes down or demand spikes.
- Capacity for peptides and sterile fill-finish. Both are tight markets, and both are areas where CordenPharma has invested heavily.
The practical question for most drug developers is not where the head office sits, but which site can make a given molecule, at what scale, and under which inspections.
How CordenPharma Compares with Other CDMOs
Sponsors usually shortlist several contractors at once. Comparing genscript locations or a peptide-focused specialist against CordenPharma's footprint shows how differently CDMOs organize: some concentrate manufacturing in Asia, while others build regional networks close to their customers.
| Company | Headquarters | Notable footprint |
|---|---|---|
| CordenPharma | Plankstadt, Germany | Germany, France, Italy, and the United States; small molecules, peptides, and sterile dose forms |
| GenScript ProBio | Nanjing, China | China, United States, and Europe; plasmid, viral vector, and cell therapy services |
| Asymchem | Tianjin, China | Multiple Chinese manufacturing bases plus US and European operations |
| AmbioPharm | North Augusta, South Carolina, US | US-based peptide API manufacturing at clinical and commercial scale |
CordenPharma's pitch is breadth, covering small molecules, peptides, lipids, and sterile dose forms under one group, rather than dominance in a single technology. Companies that need only one capability sometimes find a specialist faster to work with. Note that a corden peptide produced under contract is a manufacturing service, not a finished medicine; the sponsor still owns the clinical and regulatory program.
How to Verify the Current CordenPharma Site List
Facility lists change. Companies acquire sites, expand capacity, and occasionally divest. To confirm what is current:
- Check the official CordenPharma website, which maintains a locations and capabilities page.
- Track press releases for expansion, acquisition, or consolidation announcements.
- Review regulatory inspection databases, such as the FDA's inspection classification records, for site-specific history.
- Follow company updates on professional networks, where site news tends to appear quickly.
Financial and site-level details sometimes surface through the corden pharma annual report and trade press coverage. Leadership messaging from the corden pharma ceo, Dr. Michael Quirmbach, has repeatedly emphasized peptide capacity and related investments as strategic priorities.
For sponsors, the site list is a starting point, not a decision. Confirm current capacity, quality systems, and inspection status directly with the company before committing to a technology transfer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is CordenPharma headquartered?
CordenPharma's corporate headquarters is in Plankstadt, Germany, a short drive from Heidelberg. The Plankstadt office handles group-level commercial, quality, regulatory, and supply-chain functions rather than manufacturing. Production takes place at the company's separate sites in Germany, France, Italy, and the United States.
How many CordenPharma locations are there?
CordenPharma operates roughly seven manufacturing sites across Germany, France, Italy, and the United States, plus its headquarters in Plankstadt. The exact number changes as the company adds capacity, acquires facilities, or consolidates operations. Check the official CordenPharma website for the current list before relying on any published count.
Does CordenPharma manufacture peptides?
Yes. CordenPharma produces peptide APIs and peptide drug products, with peptide manufacturing centered at its Boulder, Colorado site. Peptide capacity has been a major investment area for the company as demand for peptide-based therapies such as GLP-1 drugs has grown. Sponsors still need to confirm current scale, lead times, and available capacity directly with the company.
This page provides educational research information and does not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.