Haupt Pharma, one of Europe’s leading companies for pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing, has completed the transfer of contraceptive pill production for a large group from Ireland to the Westphalian city of Münster. All of the equipment used to produce the contraceptives is already located in the facilities of Haupt Pharma Münster GmbH so that manufacturing can start immediately.

"We will gradually increase the production volume," explained Dr. Hubert Bensmann, Managing Director of Haupt Pharma Münster GmbH. The projected production volume will be a total of about three billion film-coated and sugar-coated tablets per year. "This will make the company the second largest manufacturer of contraceptive pills in Europe in 2015, after the Bayer Group," added Dr. Bensmann.

Long-planned investments pay off
Between 2007 and 2013, the total investment volume of the site amounted to more than €30 million. Of those, just in 2012 and 2013, about €15 million were used for the current capacity expansion: the expansion includes two tablet presses, a film and sugar coating machine, two large packaging lines and new staff changing rooms for about 250 people.

New jobs for Münster
"We are particularly pleased that we were able to win 80 new employees due to our solid growth over the past year and a half," said Dr. Bensmann. Other additional jobs will be created as part of the increase in production volume over the course of 2014 and 2015, mainly in the operational areas of manufacturing.

The future is international
"With the FDA certification for the U.S. market and the successful Brazilian ANVISA inspection, the site is well prepared for international clients. We have been working for national and international pharmaceutical companies for years and have extensive experience. This is a key success factor for our clients," concluded Dr. Bensmann.