Lonza Breaks Ground on Commercial Spray-Drying Facility in Bend, Oregon
The new facility will feature two PSD-4 spray-drying units and is expected to establish Lonza as the leading CDMO provider of commercial-scale spray-drying PSD-4 capacity in the US. Completion is expected in 2029, initially creating more than 80 jobs. The Bend site has nearly 50 years of pharmaceutical manufacturing history and has contributed to more than 2,000 potential medicines.
Lonza celebrated the groundbreaking of a new commercial spray-drying pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Bend, Oregon, on September 14, 2026. The facility is expected to create more than 80 new jobs and further strengthen Central Oregon's role in the development and manufacturing of innovative medicines, with completion expected in 2029.
Lonza leaders were joined at the ceremony by Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, Swiss Consul-General Jonas Brunschwig, Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler and other state and local representatives.
Making Bend a Global Spray-Drying Hub
Kathy Schwiebert, Site Head of Lonza Bend, said: "Today's groundbreaking marks an important milestone for both Lonza and the Bend community. This investment expands our manufacturing capabilities, creates new jobs, and strengthens our ability to support customers developing the next generation of medicines."
The new facility expands Lonza's operations in Bend, where the site has supported pharmaceutical and biotech customers for nearly 50 years with advanced particle engineering and spray-drying technologies. It has contributed to the evaluation or development of more than 2,000 potential medicines, supporting programs from early research through commercial manufacturing.
Spray drying is an advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing technology that helps medicines be absorbed more effectively in the body. It transforms liquid formulations into fine powders with carefully engineered properties. As modern drug candidates become increasingly complex, such technologies play a growing role in bringing new treatments to market.
Two PSD-4 Units and the US Commercial Capacity Gap
The new facility will be equipped with two state-of-the-art PSD-4 spray-drying units, allowing for future capacity expansions as demand grows. Additional upgrades at the Bend site include supporting infrastructure for solvent handling and storage, alongside energy-efficient utility and process systems and enhanced emission control technologies to reduce overall energy demand.
Lonza announced the investment on September 10, four days before the groundbreaking, saying the expansion will establish it as the leading CDMO provider of commercial-scale spray-drying PSD-4 capacity in the US. The Bend site will offer spray-dried dispersion (SDD) capacity for both clinical and commercial programs, and support development and manufacturing of small molecules and other modalities including biologics and mRNA.
Wolfgang Wienand, CEO of Lonza, said: "The investment in the Bend site reflects our conviction that the United States will remain a leading source of pharmaceutical innovation and a key market for Lonza. By significantly expanding our commercial-scale spray-drying capabilities, we strengthen a technology that can fundamentally improve the delivery and bioavailability of medicines."
The investment should be read alongside Lonza's broader portfolio reshaping. The company has agreed to divest its Capsules & Health Ingredients (CHI) business at an enterprise value of CHF 2.3 billion, expected to close before year-end 2026, completing its transformation into a pure-play CDMO. It has also announced ADC capacity expansions — payload-linker suites in Visp and a second ADC aseptic fill line in Stein — and reiterated plans to invest more than CHF 7 billion of organic capex until 2030. In H1 2026, Lonza reported sales of CHF 3.4 billion (16% CER growth) and a CORE EBITDA margin of 34.8%, raising its full-year margin guidance to 33%–34%.