Alpharma Pharmaceutical Co. has completed its agreement with Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Co. (Hisun), doubling its capacity to manufacture one of Hisun’s major APIs, vancomycin, subject to FDA and European regulatory approvals. Vancomycin is for severe gram-positive hospital infections. Alpharma currently manufactures vancomycin at its sites in Copenhagen, Denmark and Budapest, Hungary.

“Our partnership with Hisun has been highly productive,” said Carl Aake Carlsson, president of Alpharma’s Active Pharmaceuticals division. “Progress at the new Chinese facility has been excellent, and we look forward to continuing to collaborate with Hisun as we significantly expand Alpharma’s capacity of its largest active pharmaceutical ingredient, Vancomycin, to meet the growing demand for this product.”

Alpharma purchased vancomycin from Hisun in 2006 pending the completion of the construction and regulatory approval process of a new Vancomycin manufacturing plant at the Hisun facility in China. The new facility will be owned and operated by Alpharma, incorporating technology purchased from Hisun, as well as Alpharma technology. The new facility is expected to be complete in early 2008.