Bridgewest picks up another Pfizer plant down under

Private investment firm Bridgewest Group has signed a definitive agreement to buy Pfizer’s sterile injectable manufacturing facility  in Western Australia.

Pfizer’s manufacturing facility is located in Bentley, a Perth suburb in Western Australia. The plant is authorized to supply drug products in over 90 countries across the globe and approvals have been granted by various regulatory bodies, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), and the European Union (EU).

According to Bridgewest, the facility has blow fill seal (BFS) capabilities, which can produce sterile injectables and oncology drug products for wider distribution. And while specific details remain undisclosed, the private investment firm said that it will also acquire various drug products from Pfizer, which it will aim to get to market and expand rapidly.

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“We are on a great trajectory to complete the sale with Pfizer. We have very good people working diligently to complete the transaction and to transition the facility, processes, and high caliber staff to Bridgewest Group,” Adam Gickling, executive vice president and chief operating officer said.

“We anticipate the sale to close in the next several months and will work diligently to that end […] post-sale, the facility will continue to supply products to Pfizer under a manufacturing and supply agreement.”

This is the second plant Bridgewest has bought from Pfizer. In 2020, the company bought Pfizer’s facility in Adelaide, Australia, which now operates as a contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) under the name BioCina.

Bridgewest highlighted that the Perth plant will run as a separate business from BioCina.

“We are confident that the experience and expertise garnered with BioCina will translate to a smooth transition followed by substantial growth, as well as further cement Bridgewest Group’s commitment to pharma manufacturing in Australia,” said Masood Tayebi, chief executive officer of Bridgewest.