AveThera GmbH Acquires Fraunhofer ITEM Braunschweig Site to Expand Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing
核心洞察
AveThera GmbH (搜索) acquired the Braunschweig site of the Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (搜索) (ITEM) on March 16, 2026, strengthening the Science Campus Braunschweig-Süd as a biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing center.
The acquisition preserves existing GMP production capacities and highly qualified employees while enabling AveThera to expand its manufacturing capabilities for complex biologics (搜索) including biosimilars (搜索) for cancer (搜索) treatment.
AveThera plans to use the majority of production capacity for its own product development while offering contract manufacturing services to research institutions and industry partners in the region.
AveThera GmbH (搜索), a biopharmaceutical company specializing in complex biologics (搜索) manufacturing, has acquired the Braunschweig site of the Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (搜索) (ITEM), effective March 16, 2026. The acquisition strengthens the Science Campus Braunschweig-Süd as a center for development and manufacturing of modern biopharmaceutical products while preserving critical production capabilities and expertise in the region.
The Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (搜索) (HZI) welcomed the acquisition as an important step for maintaining core competencies in pharmaceutical biotechnology in Braunschweig. "It is a strong signal that the production capacities and the highly qualified employees at the Braunschweig site will be retained," says Christian Scherf, Administrative Director of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research.
Strategic Expansion of Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing
With the acquisition, responsibility for the site transfers to AveThera, a young privately owned company that plans to strategically expand the existing expertise and infrastructure to advance innovative biopharmaceutical solutions. The company brings additional perspectives and resources that will enable optimal use of the existing technologies and specialized know-how.
Starting March 16, 2026, AveThera will continue production operations in the HZI facilities under GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) conditions—international quality standards that ensure pharmaceuticals and medical products are produced reliably and safely. Existing capacities will be fully maintained, ensuring that specialized infrastructure, the expertise of experienced professionals, and industrial manufacturing capabilities will remain available at the site.
Enhanced Collaboration Opportunities
"The continuation of operations by AveThera strengthens the innovation campus and opens up new opportunities for collaboration between research and industrial development, as well as for the transfer of technology from research into application," Scherf noted.
AveThera expressed enthusiasm about the acquisition's potential. "The site at Science Campus Braunschweig-Süd offers excellent conditions for further developing modern biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes. We look forward to using the existing infrastructure, expanding our production capacities, and realizing new collaborative and innovation projects together with partners on the Science Campus," explains AveThera GmbH (搜索).
Dual-Purpose Manufacturing Strategy
AveThera intends to use the majority of its production capacity for its own product development while also making capacity available for external contract projects. This approach will create additional opportunities for collaboration with research institutions, spin-offs, and industry partners in the region.
The company, headquartered in Hennigsdorf, Brandenburg, specializes in the industrial manufacturing of complex biologics (搜索), including biosimilars (搜索) for cancer (搜索) treatment. With its own GMP production facility currently under development in Hennigsdorf, AveThera combines scientific expertise, proprietary process platforms, and modern manufacturing technologies to enable reliable and scalable supply of advanced biologics. The company also offers process development, GMP manufacturing, quality control and analytics, as well as scientific and technical consulting.