Leading Continuous Manufacturing Companies: Capabilities and Recent Developments

Published: September 2026

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.

The FDA has actively supported the use of continuous manufacturing techniques in the pharmaceutical industry as a transformative approach to advance drug production. In this context, the FDA launched a FRAME initiative in July 2026, emphasizing end-to-end continuous manufacturing, stating it as a key advanced manufacturing technology for regulatory evaluation. Earlier in December 2025, the FDA identified continuous manufacturing among innovative manufacturing technologies, that can accelerate product development, strengthen supply chains, improve drug quality and help prevent drug shortages, through its strategy document on innovative manufacturing technologies. Such strategy documents and initiatives strengthen the aim of continuous manufacturing technologies towards streamlining drug production and integrating advanced technologies, such as AI, 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. Given the associated advantages, several well-established pharma companies such as Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, Lonza, Merck, Novartis, Sanofi and WuXi Biologics have now incorporated continuous manufacturing systems in their biomanufacturing operations for achieve higher production efficiency and improved product quality, while reducing manufacturing costs and timeline.

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.

Top Five Continuous Manufacturing Companies

AbbVie Contract Manufacturing
Abzena
Corden Pharma
Phlow
WuXi Biologics

The figure below highlights the top five continuous manufacturing companies:

Top 5 Companies to Watch Continuous Manufacturing Market

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

Discover Below the Details on Top 5 Continuous Manufacturing Companies

Let us deep dive to understand the activity of the 5 top continuous manufacturing companies. It is essential to note that the selection of top players can differ substantially according to the defined criteria.

1. AbbVie Contract Manufacturing

Company Overview

	Year of Establishment	Headquarters	Number of Employees	Type of Player
	2013	Illinois, US	10,001+	Contract Manufacturer

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®.

Service Portfolio

The section provides information on the company’s continuous manufacturing service portfolio:

Type of Molecule Manufactured: Small Molecules
Type of Dosage Form Manufactured: Tablets / Capsules, Powder / Granules
Type of End Product Manufactured: Finished Dosage Form (FDF)
Type of Continuous FDF Manufacturing Service Offered:
- Upstream: Mixing and Blending, Granulation, Drying, and Compression
- Downstream: Coating and Packaging
Scale of Operation: Clinical and Commercial

Recent Developments

In February 2026, AbbVie Contract Manufacturing participated in the 2026 Innovations in Controlled Release, Bioavailability Enhancement & Continuous Manufacturing Summit West (CRBE Summit West) conference, held in San Diego, California. In this conference, representatives from the company discussed their advancements related to continuous manufacturing and drug delivery technologies.

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

2. Abzena

Company Overview

	Year of Establishment	Headquarters	Number of Employees	Type of Player
	2001	California, US	501 -1,000	Contract Manufacturer

Abzena is a contract development and manufacturing organization that offers end-to-end services for the synthesis of antibody drug conjugate (ADC) and other complex biologic molecules. The company claims to have expertise in developing biologics and bioconjugates, at clinical and commercialization stages. It is worth highlighting that the company offers continuous manufacturing and perfusion services through its facilities located in San Diego.

Service Portfolio

The section provides information on the company’s continuous manufacturing service portfolio:

Type of Molecule Manufactured: Biologics
Type of Biologic Manufactured: Proteins / Peptides, Antibodies, Enzymes, Vaccines, Viral Vectors, Oligonucleotides, and Others
Type of End Product Manufactured: Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API)
Type of Continuous Manufacturing Service Offered:
- Upstream: Continuous Cell Culture and N Stage Perfusion,
- Downstream: Cell Harvesting, Cell Retention, Centrifugation / Separation and Primary Purification
Scale of Operation: Clinical and Commercial

Recent Developments

In June 2026, Abzena participated in Bio International 2026, to present its biologics and bioconjugate expertise, through its panel of drug development experts. The focus of the presentation included cell line development, and insights into manufacturing biologics at scale.

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

3. Corden Pharma

Company Overview

	Year of Establishment	Headquarters	Number of Employees	Type of Player
	2006	Basel, Switzerland	1,001 -51,000	Contract Manufacturer

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 facility in Frankfurt, Germany. Interestingly, the firm successfully produced the first cGMP batch of CaPre (omega-3 phospholipid) in 2017, using its proprietary continuous manufacturing technique. Notably, in FY 2025, the company reported revenues of EUR 960 million.

Service Portfolio

The section provides information on the company’s continuous manufacturing service portfolio:

Type of Molecule Manufactured: Biologics
Type of Biologic Manufactured: Proteins / Peptides
Type of End Product Manufactured: Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API)
Type of Continuous Manufacturing Service Offered:
- Continuous Upstream Processing
- Continuous Downstream Processing
Scale of Operation: Preclinical and Clinical

Recent Developments

In May 2026, Corden Pharma announced the acquisition of AmbioPharm for broadening its peptide API development and manufacturing capabilities for complex peptide programs. The company will leverage the acquired facility to support global peptide supply with significant upstream capacity across SPPS, LPPS and hybrid synthesis, as well as selected downstream capabilities.

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

4. Phlow

Company Overview

	Year of Establishment	Headquarters	Number of Employees	Type of Player
	2020	Virginia, US	51 - 200	Contract Manufacturer

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. The company currently offers continuous manufacturing across two facilities in Peteresburg, US.

Service Portfolio

The section provides information on the company’s continuous manufacturing service portfolio:

Type of Molecule Manufactured: Small Molecules
Type of Dosage Form Manufactured: Liquids
Type of End Product Manufactured: Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API)
Type of Continuous API Manufacturing Service Offered:
- Upstream: Chemical Reaction
- Downstream: Extraction, Crystallization, Distillation, Filtration, Purification and Drying
Scale of Operation: Preclinical, Clinical and Commercial

Recent Developments

In June 2026, Phlow announced its participation in the 2026 DCAT (Drug, Chemical & Associated Technologies Association) Global Summit, held in Sitges, Barcelona. In this summit, the company discussed “session II: AI-Driven Drug Development, exploring how artificial intelligence is transforming API development and manufacturing, from early route design through commercial supply”.

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

5. WuXi Biologics

Company Overview

	Year of Establishment	Headquarters	Number of Employees	Type of Player
	2010	Jiangsu, China	10,001+	Contract Manufacturer

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 antibody , bispecific antibodies, Fc-fusion proteins, and other recombinant proteins. Currently, WuXi Biologics is conducting its continuous manufacturing operations across 10 facilities, across Asia-Pacific and Europe.

Service Portfolio

The section provides information on the company’s continuous manufacturing service portfolio:

Type of Molecule Manufactured: Biologics
Type of Biologic Manufactured: Proteins / Peptides, Antibodies
Type of End Product Manufactured: Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) and Finished Dosage Form (FDF)
Type of Continuous Manufacturing Service Offered:
- Upstream: Continuous Cell Culture and N Stage Perfusion,
- Downstream: Cell Harvesting, Cell Retention, Centrifugation / Separation, Primary Purification and Secondary Purification
Scale of Operation: Preclinical, Clinical and Commercial

Recent Developments

In June 2026, the company announced the successful completion of its first GMP production campaign, with zero deviations. The company’s manufacturing facility is with multiple single-use bioreactors (SUBs), supporting a wide range of process modes, including fed-batch, N-1 perfusion, perfusion, intensified perfusion, and fully automated continuous manufacturing.

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

What About Other Continuous Manufacturing Companies Around the World?

The above article features the top continuous manufacturing companies selected from a pool of nearly 100 manufacturers 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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