UPM Pharmaceuticals will acquire Pfizer‘s 500,000-sq.-ft. commercial manufacturing facility in Bristol, TN. The acquisition will provide UPM with large-scale commercial capabilities for manufacturing and packaging of solid oral dosage tablets and capsules, as well as semi-solid manufacturing of creams and ointments.

The facility will also provide for comprehensive tech transfer support, pilot plant scale-up capabilities, analytical and microbial testing, as well as dedicated suites for potent compounds. As part of the purchase, UPM will continue to manufacture Pfizer’s current portfolio of products within the facility for two years. The acquisition will allow UPM to offer a full range of development, testing and manufacturing capabilities to its existing and new clients.

“We are pleased to complete the sale of our Bristol site to UPM Pharmaceuticals,” said John Kelly, Pfizer’s vice president, Strategy and Transitioning Sites. “UPM leaders have experience with this site, and are familiar with our colleagues and the products we manufacture there, they share our commitment to quality and have a long history of success. We look forward to an ongoing relationship with UPM. We also think this is a boost for the Bristol community, as the managing partner of SJ Strategic Investments and chairman and chief executive officer of UPM is Dr. John Gregory, a well-known member of the Bristol community. He and other members of his family will be involved in the ownership and management of this facility.”

UPM’s president, James E. Gregory, said, “The acquisition is a very exciting opportunity for our organization. With the new facility, UPM will now be able to offer clients a seamless transition from early stage formulation development to commercialization along with all associated comprehensive lab support. The new facility will give UPM the capability to annually produce 3.5 billion tablets and 680 million capsules; this will be a dramatic growth opportunity for our company and our clients.”

The Pfizer facility was once home to King Pharmaceuticals before being acquired in late 2010. King Pharmaceuticals was founded by Dr. Gregory.