US Peptide Capacity Grows: 2 CDMOs Expand
Two contract manufacturers announced US expansions that include peptide work. Who they are and what the capacity adds.
Updated October 24, 2026
Summary. Two contract development and manufacturing organisations have announced US expansions that include peptide work. BioSpectrum Asia reported on 6 October that SK pharmteco, a subsidiary of South Korea's SK Inc., plans to invest more than $200 million over five years in its US development and manufacturing infrastructure for small molecules and peptides. The plan includes new development laboratories, new GMP kilo-scale peptide capacity scheduled to be operational in late 2026 alongside advanced liquid chromatography, new manufacturing suites and about 100 long-term jobs. Separately, local broadcaster WJBF reported that CordenPharma is expanding its site in Aiken County, South Carolina, previously operated by AmbioPharm. The expansion adds peptide synthesis to a site that already handles purification and quality control, and is expected to bring more than 200 jobs and become operational in 2027.
Research context (RUO). Both announcements focus on steps in the middle of the production chain: SK pharmteco highlights peptide purification and chromatography, and CordenPharma's aim, according to the report, is to let customers take a peptide from synthesis through purification at one site. Neither expansion is immediate, since one plan runs over five years and the other site is scheduled for 2027. For laboratories, the context is unchanged: access to well-characterised research-grade peptide material depends on manufacturing and analytical capacity, and on documentation such as certificates of analysis.
