Permira is preparing to sell US-based contract drug manufacturer Cambrex, seeking a valuation of up to $4bn for the business, according to a report by the Financial Times citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.
The UK private equity group acquired Cambrex in 2019 for around $2bn and has since overseen its expansion as pharmaceutical companies increased investment in domestic US production. That trend has accelerated amid the Trump administration’s plans to introduce phased tariffs on imported drugs, potentially rising to 250%, prompting drugmakers to bolster local supply chains and inventories.
Headquartered in New Jersey, Cambrex provides drug developers with manufacturing and testing services across the full lifecycle of drug development. The company has been a key beneficiary of re-shoring initiatives and regulatory shifts favouring US-based production.
Permira, which manages roughly €85bn ($99.5bn) in assets, recently teamed up with Nordic Capital on a $3bn bid for Danish vaccine maker Bavarian Nordic. The firm and Cambrex both declined to comment on the reported sale plans.
