BioDuro, a global life science research and development organization backed by Advent International, and Sundia, a contract research and manufacturing organization, have partnered to create one of the largest CRDMOs (contract research, development and manufacturing organizations) with operations in China and the U.S. The combined company will operate as BioDuro-Sundia, providing fully integrated drug discovery, development and manufacturing for both API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients) and drug products. Financial terms were not disclosed.

BioDuro-Sundia has more than 2,000 employees across 10 global sites, enabling operational scale and integrated capabilities that provide its services from early stage drug discovery to late stage manufacturing. BioDuro-Sundia is already expanding operations to bolster its strategic locations, including two new sites in China — an R&D base in Wuxi City and a manufacturing center in Bengbu – as well as capacity to add more than 1,000 employees over the next two years.

Jim Li, CEO of Sundia, joins the senior management team of BioDuro-Sundia as President of China Global CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls) Solutions, with responsibility towards critical growth in that market, including build-out of the company’s late stage GMP and non-GMP API scale-up capabilities. Mr. Li will report directly to Cyrus K. Mirsaidi, CEO of BioDuro-Sundia.

“BioDuro and Sundia share the same core values that include respect, teamwork and tenacity,” said Cyrus K. Mirsaidi, CEO of BioDuro-Sundia. “Together, we help our biopharma partners research and develop medicines that improve the lives of patients, as we keep our clients and their patients at the core of every project we undertake. This common cause makes the BioDuro-Sundia partnership a great fit — not only for our employees, who will benefit from an extended global reach and new career opportunities, but also for our partner clients whom we help every day to speed up their precious programs to the clinic and the patients in need.”