Catalent to sell New Jersey facility

(Reuters) - Catalent has agreed to sell its oral drug development and small-scale manufacturing facility in Somerset, New Jersey to private contract drug manufacturer Ardena, the companies said on Monday.

Catalent provides contract manufacturing services and performs fill-finish work, which involves the sterile filling and packaging of syringes and injection pens, for drugmakers including Danish pharma major Novo Nordisk's drug Wegovy.

Novo Holdings, the investment firm that has a controlling interest in Novo Nordisk, signed a $16.5 billion deal to buy Catalent in February to boost Wegovy supply, with the deal expected to close toward the end of this year.

Catalent and Ardena did not disclose financial terms of the deal, which is expected to close in early 2025.

Ardena, a provider of drug development services, said the facility will help boost its commercial production of oral drugs. The FDA-approved Somerset facility employs about 200 scientists and technicians, Ardena said.

(Reporting by Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Vijay Kishore)