Asymchem Laboratories announced that it inaugurated its new European development and pilot manufacturing site in the UK.

Teda Tianjin, China-based Asymchem hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony, led by Dr. Hao Hong, the company’s chair, founder and CEO.

The site, located at Discovery Park in Sandwich, Kent, used to serve as a Pfizer small molecule facility. It employs 70 team members onsite in both R&D labs and the API pilot plant — many of whom are legacy Pfizer employees. Asymchem plans for additional hires through the end of the year as it ramps up operations.

Asymchem said the site builds on a foundation of utilizing innovative technologies to enable smarter, greener and cost-effective solutions to support manufacturing. The company also plans to add more capabilities onsite by 2025. That includes advanced equipment for manufacturing peptides and oligonucleotides, plus sustainability capabilities for continuous flow and biocatalysis.

Mayer Schreiber, CEO of Discovery Park, called Kent an “ideal location for a European HQ.” Schreiber highlighted its connections to both Europe and nearby London, plus space to grow. Additionally, Schreiber pointed out that many team members already spent decades at the site before Asymchem took over.

“This is an exciting milestone for Asymchem to meet growing demand for pharma services and supply,” Hong said. “We are continuing a long legacy of manufacturing excellence at Discovery Park, with the location in Kent being ideal for reaching our target markets in Europe.”