Continuous Manufacturing Companies

Published: September 2025

Continuous manufacturing involves the production of pharmaceutical products such as small molecules and biologics, in a single, uninterrupted run. The manufacturing process integrates all stages of production, transforming base ingredients into final products within a single facility, without any hold time. While continuous manufacturing has gained traction in other industries due to advancements in automation and process control, its adoption in pharmaceuticals remains in its infancy. For small molecules, this technique has been successfully implemented in certain cases as a result of well-defined chemical reactions, clearly characterized critical quality attributes (CQAs), and established methods for process control.

We analyzed leading companies engaged in the domain of continuous manufacturing of small molecules and biologics. In this article, discover top 9 continuous manufacturing companies and their strength in the pharmaceutical industry.

The FDA has actively supported the use of continuous manufacturing techniques in the pharmaceutical industry as a transformative approach to advance drug production. In February 2019, the FDA issued draft guidelines highlighting the use of continuous manufacturing processes, which were further refined with final guidance released in March 2023. These guidelines aim to streamline drug production by integrating advanced technologies, such as AI with existing continuous manufacturing processes, for predictive analytics and process optimization.

It is worth noting that continuous manufacturing has the potential to reduce the drug manufacturing time by 90% and costs by 30-40%, thereby reducing the price of the drug for consumers. Companies such as Johnson & Johnson had announced their plans to manufacture 70% of their high-volume products via continuous manufacturing lines. Moreover, post the approval of Prezista (manufactured in continuous manufacturing line at Janssen Supply Chain’s facility), this domain has witnessed several advancements, with 20 companies ready to initiate the process of drug approvals.

Roots Analysis has conducted an exhaustive study on Continuous Manufacturing Market featuring the current market landscape and future opportunity for the companies engaged in the domain of small molecules and biologics manufacturing, over a span of 10 years.

Below, we have listed (in alphabetical order), the top 9 continuous manufacturing companies.

AbbVie Contract Manufacturing
Abzena
AGC Biologics
Boehringer Ingelheim
Corden Pharma
Glatt
Kaneka
Phlow
WuXi Biologics

Top 9 Continuous Manufacturing Market Players

Interested in exploring key continuous manufacturing companies and their recent initiatives?

Discover Below the Details on Top 9 Continuous Manufacturing Companies

Let us deep dive to understand the activity of the 9 top continuous manufacturing companies. It is essential to note that the selection of top players can differ substantially according to the defined criteria.

AbbVie Contract Manufacturing plans to have its North Chicago API facility fully operational by 2027

1. AbbVie Contract Manufacturing

AbbVie Contract Manufacturing is the contract service arm of AbbVie. The AbbVie Contract Manufacturing company has close to 10 manufacturing facilities located in various parts of North America and Europe. It is worth mentioning that AbbVie Contract Manufacturing is focused on the development and production of both large and small molecules APIs. Further, the firm claims to utilize hot melt extrusion, a continuous manufacturing process, for the production of various commercialized products, namely Kaletra®, Norvir®, Viekira Pak®, Mavyret® and Venclexta®.

AbbVie Contract Manufacturing: Company Overview

Particulars	Specifications
Company Logo
Year of Establishment	2013
Number of Employees	10,001+
Headquarters
Facility Locations	Illinois, US Puerto Rico, US Clonshaugh, Ireland Ludwigshafen, Germany

AbbVie Contract Manufacturing: Service Portfolio

Parameter	Details
Type of Molecule Manufactured	Small Molecules
Type of Continuous Service Offered	Mixing and Blending Granulation Drying Compression Coating Packaging
Type of Manufacturing Process	Upstream (FDF Manufacturing): Continuous
Type of Player	Contract Manufacturer
Type of Dosage Form	Tablets / Capsules Powder / Granules
Type of End Product	Final Dosage Form

In May 2025, AbbVie Contract Manufacturing organized the 11th Annual Summit on Innovations in Controlled Release, Bioavailability Enhancement, and Continuous Manufacturing. The event focused on the latest advances in formulation, product development, and drug delivery technologies aimed at improving pharmaceutical performance and manufacturing capabilities.

Further details on recent initiatives taken by AbbVie Contract Manufacturing and other continuous manufacturing companies have been provided in detail in the report.

Abzena Enhanced Its CDMO Service Portfolio by Addition of Microbiology Laboratory and QC Testing Capabilities at its GMP Biologics Facility in California

2. Abzena

Abzena is a contract development and manufacturing organization that offers end-to-end services for the synthesis of antibody drug conjugates and other complex biologic molecules. The company claims to have expertise in developing biologics and bioconjugates, from research to commercialization stage. It is worth highlighting that the company offers continuous manufacturing and perfusion services through its facilities located in San Diego and Sanford.

AbZena: Company Overview

Particulars	Specifications
Company Logo
Year of Establishment	2001
Number of Employees	500-1,000
Headquarters
Facility Locations	North Carolina, US California, US

AbZena: Service Portfolio

Parameter	Details
Type of Molecule Manufactured	Biologics
Type of Continuous Service Offered	Continuous Upstream Process: Continuous Cell Culture, N stage Perfusion Continuous Downstream Process: Continuous Cell Harvesting, Continuous Retention, Centrifugation / Separation Continuous Downstream Purification: Primary Purification / Capture (Affinity Chromatography / Continuous Resin Regeneration)
Type of Manufacturing Process	Upstream: Continuous Downstream: Continuous
Type of Player	Contract Manufacturer
Type of Dosage Form	Proteins / Peptides Antibodies Enzymes Vaccines Oligonucleotides (DNAs / RNAs)
Type of End Product	Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient

Further details on recent initiatives taken by AbZena and other continuous manufacturing companies have been provided in detail in the report.

AGC Biologics Claims to be a Trusted, Collaborative CDMO Partner by Leveraging Continuous Manufacturing to Deliver End-to-End Biopharmaceutical Development and Production Globally

3. AGC Biologics

AGC Biologics is a US-based contract development and manufacturing organization, offering services for the development of protein-based biologics, and cell and gene therapies. The company claims to offer a wide array of services, including process development, analytical development, cGMP manufacturing, quality control and quality assurance, and process validation. It is worth highlighting that the firm claims to offer mammalian cell culture and development services using batch, fed-batch and continuous perfusion methods.

AGC Biologics: Company Overview

Particulars	Specifications
Company Logo
Year of Establishment	2018
Number of Employees	1,001-5,000
Headquarters
Facility Locations	Washington, US Colorado, US Copenhagen, Denmark Chiba, Japan Heidelberg, Germany Yokohama, Japan

AGC Biologics: Service Portfolio

Parameter	Details
Type of Molecule Manufactured	Biologics
Type of Continuous Service Offered	Continuous Upstream Process: Continuous Cell Culture, N-1 Stage Perfusion, N Stage Perfusion Continuous Downstream Process: Continuous Harvesting, Cell Retention, Centrifugation / Separation Continuous Downstream Purification: Primary Purification / Capture (Affinity Chromatography/Continuous Resin Regeneration)
Type of Manufacturing Process	Upstream: Continuous Downstream: Continuous
Type of Player	Contract Manufacturer
Type of Dosage Form	Protein / Peptides Antibodies
Type of End Product	Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Final Dosage Form

In February 2025, Alberto Santagostino was appointed CEO and President of AGC Biologics. He previously served six years as Head of Cell and Gene Technology at Lonza and spent 12 years at the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, where his leadership philosophy was shaped.

Further details on recent initiatives taken by AGC Biologics and other continuous manufacturing companies have been provided in detail in the report.

Boehringer Ingelheim Provides Biopharmaceutical Contract Development and Manufacturing Services, Specializing in Mammalian Cell Cultures, Along with Microbial and Yeast Fermentations

4. Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim is a life sciences company that provides biopharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing services to its clients, across the globe. The company offers a wide range of services, ranging from cell line and strain development to fill / finish, for the production of antibodies, recombinant proteins, non-antibody scaffolds, Fab fragments, as well as plasmid DNA. Notably, the company offers continuous manufacturing services through its facilities located in Ingelheim, Germany (for the production of small molecule drugs) and California, US (for the production of biologics).

Boehringer Ingelheim: Company Overview

Particulars	Specifications
Company Logo
Year of Establishment	1885
Number of Employees	10,001+
Headquarters
Facility Locations	California, US Biberach, Germany Ingelheim, Germany

Boehringer Ingelheim: Service Portfolio

Parameter	Details
Type of Molecule Manufactured	Biologics Small Molecules
Type of Continuous Service Offered	Biologics Continuous Upstream Process: Continuous Cell Culture, N-1 Stage Perfusion, N Stage Perfusion Continuous Downstream Process: Cell Harvesting, Cell Retention, Centrifugation / Separation Continuous Downstream Purification: Primary Purification / Capture, Secondary Purification / Polishing, Viral Inactivation, Viral Clearance Small Molecules Upstream (FDF Manufacturing): Continuous Raw Material Preparation, Continuous Mixing and Blending, Continuous Granulation, Continuous Compression
Type of Manufacturing Process	Biologics Upstream: Continuous Downstream: Continuous Small Molecules Upstream (FDF Manufacturing): Continuous
Type of Player	In-house Drug Developer and Contract Manufacturer
Type of Dosage Form	Proteins / Peptides Antibodies Enzymes
Type of End Product	Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Final Dosage Form

In April 2025, Boehringer Ingelheim has opened a new research facility in Basel, Switzerland, investing CHF 27 million in the antibody-drug conjugate development. It is worth noting that this new facility will operate under Boehringer’s subsidiary company, NBE Therapeutics.

Further details on recent initiatives taken by Boehringer Ingelheim and other continuous manufacturing companies have been provided in detail in the report.

Corden Pharma has Eight cGMP Production Facilities Spread Across the US and Europe, with a Wide Range of Contract Services, Ranging from R&D to Product Commercialization

5. Corden Pharma

Corden Pharma is a contract development and manufacturing organization that claims to offer services related to API, drug products and their packaging. Further, it is worth highlighting that the company offers continuous manufacturing services through its Chenôve facility in France. Furthermore, the firm successfully produced the first cGMP batch of CaPre (omega-3 phospholipid) in 2017, using its proprietary continuous manufacturing technique. Notably, in FY 2024, the company reported revenues of EUR 854 million.

Corden Pharma: Company Overview

Particulars	Specifications
Company Logo
Year of Establishment	2006
Number of Employees	10,001+
Headquarters
Facility Locations	Frankfurt, Germany Dijon, France

Corden Pharma: Service Portfolio

Parameter	Details
Type of Molecule Manufactured	Biologics Small Molecules
Type of Continuous Service Offered	Biologics: Continuous Upstream Process: Unspecified Continuous Downstream Purification: Unspecified Small Molecules: Upstream (API Synthesis): Chemical Reaction
Type of Manufacturing Process	Small Molecules Upstream (API Synthesis): Continuous
Type of Player	Contract Manufacturer
Type of Dosage Form	Proteins/ Peptides
Type of End Product	Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Intermediates

In March 2025, Corden Pharma announced a EUR 500 million investment to expand its glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) manufacturing capabilities across Europe and the US. Notably, this investment is part of its broader EUR 1 billion strategic initiative, which was originally announced in July 2024.

Further details on recent initiatives taken by Corden Pharma and other continuous manufacturing companies have been provided in detail in the report.

Glatt is Dedicatedly Focused on the Contract Manufacturing of Pharmaceuticals with Innovative Process Technologies / Machineries

6. Glatt

Glatt, a German company, that claims to have expertise across four key areas, including pharmaceutical services, process and plant engineering, process technology for food, feed, and fine chemicals. Interestingly, the firm owns two sites across Europe and the US, which are technological centers. Notably, the centers located in Southern Germany and Ramsey, and New Jersey are well equipped with preclinical, clinical and commercial manufacturing facilities for the development and manufacturing of solid oral dosage forms, such as pellets, micro pellets and granules. Notably, both the units are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, European Medicine Agency and Drug Enforcement Administration.

Glatt: Company Overview

Particulars	Specifications
Company Logo
Year of Establishment	1954
Number of Employees	1,001-5,000
Headquarters
Facility Locations	Binzen, Germany Ramsey, US Weimer, Germany

Glatt: Service Portfolio

Parameter	Details
Type of Molecule Manufactured	Small Molecules
Type of Continuous Service Offered	Upstream (FDF Manufacturing): Raw Material Preparation, Mixing and Blending, Granulation, Drying, Compression Downstream (FDF Manufacturing): Coating
Type of Manufacturing Process	Continuous
Type of Player	Contract Manufacturer
Type of Dosage Form	Tablets / Capsules Powder / Granules
Type of End Product	Final Dosage Form

In September 2025, Glatt and Bayer hosted a webinar showcasing fully automated batch execution for solid oral dosage forms. As part of Bayer’s SOL1 project in Leverkusen, Glatt developed the G-Connect system to provide seamless shop floor connectivity tailored to Bayer’s needs. This innovative solution integrates advanced intralogistics, tracking, and data acquisition to enable efficient, automated production with best-in-class quality control.

Further details on recent initiatives taken by Glatt and other continuous manufacturing companies have been provided in detail in the report.

Kaneka has Designed a Versatile Continuous Reactor that Enables Selection of Reaction Tubing Parameters, Informed by Laboratory and Scale-Up Research, to Deliver the Highest Reaction Performance

7. Kaneka

Kaneka is a Japan-based firm that offers commercial production of APIs and intermediates utilizing its pilot and industry scale flow reactors. These reactors are applicable for a wide range of continuous flow reactions, including liquid-liquid, liquid-solid, and liquid-gas reactions. In 2017, Kaneka's unit in Singapore received the FDA approval for manufacturing pharmaceutical products and since 2018, the firm has been using its continuous technology for commercial production.

Kaneka: Company Overview

Particulars	Specifications
Company Logo
Year of Establishment	1949
Number of Employees	10,001+
Headquarters
Facility Locations	Tokyo, Japan Singapore City, Singapore

Kaneka: Service Portfolio

Parameter	Details
Type of Molecule Manufactured	Small Molecules
Type of Continuous Service Offered	Upstream (API Synthesis): Chemical Reaction
Type of Manufacturing Process	Upstream (API Synthesis): Continuous
Type of Player	In-house Drug Developer and Contract Manufacturer
Type of Dosage Form	Unspecified
Type of End Product	Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Intermediates

Further details on recent initiatives taken by Kaneka and other continuous manufacturing companies have been provided in detail in the report.

Phlow Utilizes Advanced Manufacturing Technologies, Including Biomanufacturing and Continuous Flow Chemistry, to Advance its API Pipeline and Modernize US Based Medicine Production

8. Phlow

Phlow is a public company that claims to offer customized contract development and manufacturing services for small molecule APIs and key starting materials to pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Notably, in March 2022, the company partnered with Virginia Commonwealth University and AMPAC Fine Chemicals to provide contract continuous manufacturing research and development services for small molecule pharmaceutical products.

Phlow: Company Overview

Particulars	Specifications
Company Logo
Year of Establishment	2020
Number of Employees	51-200
Headquarters
Facility Locations	Virginia, US Petersburg, US (2)

Phlow: Service Portfolio

Parameter	Details
Type of Molecule Manufactured	Small Molecules
Type of Continuous Service Offered	Upstream (API Synthesis): Chemical Reaction Downstream (API Synthesis): Extraction, Crystallization, Distillation, Filtration, Purification, Drying
Type of Manufacturing Process	Upstream (API Synthesis): Continuous
Type of Player	Contract Manufacturer
Type of Dosage Form	Liquids
Type of End Product	Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients

In July 2025, Phlow announced a USD 37 million Series C funding round to expand its US based manufacturing and digital infrastructure, focusing on scaling AI-driven and advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, including continuous flow chemistry.

Further details on recent initiatives taken by Phlow and other continuous manufacturing companies have been provided in detail in the report.

WuXi Biologics Offers Continuous Manufacturing Biologics Through its Proprietary Technology Platform, WuXiUP™

9. WuXi Biologics

WuXi Biologics is a China-based contract research, development and manufacturing organization (CRDMO), engaged in providing end-to-end solutions for manufacturing biologics, from research to commercial stage. Notably, its intensified perfusion culture platform, WuXiUP™, supports the synthesis of a range of biologics, including difficult-to-express proteins, monoclonal antibodies, bispecific antibodies, Fc-fusion proteins, and other recombinant proteins. Currently, WuXi Biologics is supporting over 620 integrated client projects, with 22 of these in the commercial manufacturing stage. Additionally, in October 2023, the company was honored with the Best Contract Development Manufacturing Organization award at the 2023 World ADC Awards held in California, US.

WuXi Biologics: Company Overview

Particulars	Specifications
Company Logo
Year of Establishment	2010
Number of Employees	10,001+
Headquarters
Facility Locations	Wuxi, China (5) Ireland (1) Germany (1) Massachusetts, US (1) Singapore City, Singapore (1)

WuXi Biologics: Service Portfolio

Parameter	Details
Type of Molecule Manufactured	Biologics
Type of Continuous Service Offered	Continuous Upstream Process: Continuous Cell Culture, N Stage Perfusion Continuous Downstream Process: Cell Harvesting, Cell Retention, Centrifugation/ Separation Continuous Downstream Purification: Primary Purification / Capture, Secondary Purification / Polishing
Type of Manufacturing Process	Upstream: Continuous Downstream: Continuous
Type of Player	Contract Manufacturer
Type of Dosage Form	Proteins / Peptides Antibodies
Type of End Product	Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Finished Dosage Forms

In August 2025, the company announced the successful achievement of fully automated continuous drug substance production at pilot scale using its intensified perfusion culture platform, WuXiUP™.

Further details on recent initiatives taken by WuXi Biologics and other continuous manufacturing companies have been provided in detail in the report.

What About the Other Continuous Manufacturing Companies Around the World?

The above presentation features 9 top continuous manufacturing companies selected from a pool of ~95 players that we have compiled. If you're interested, you can download the Sample Report on this topic by Roots Analysis. For personalized assistance in identifying the most relevant solutions based on your specific criteria, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at sales@rootsanalysis.com.

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