Patheon Italia signs new deal with Roche

Patheon Italia, part of the Canadian Patheon group, has extended its manufacturing services agreement with Roche to continue to supply the Swiss firm with solid, liquid and sterile products for the European market.

The new agreement will commence on 1 January 2004, for an initial term of three years, and will replace an existing supply deal which came into effect after Patheon acquired a facility in Monza, Italy, from Roche in 1998.

The contract covers all of the products which are currently manufactured by Patheon for Roche at the Monza facility, although others may be added as part of a rationalisation effort at the Swiss group. Patheon estimates that revenues will be approximately C$40 million (€25m) in 2004 and C$60 million over the following two years.

As demand for its services in Italy has increased, with 16 companies now signed up as clients, Patheon has increased the size of its workforce at its Monza facility from 234 employees in 1998 to a current level of around 375. With the establishment of a second facility at Ferentino, Patheon Italia now employs 494 people.