Shilpa CDMO to Launch as Dedicated Complex Small-Molecule Contract Development and Manufacturing Brand at CPHI Milan

On September 9, 2026, parent company Shilpa Medicare announced a new dedicated complex small-molecule contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO).1 Shilpa CDMO builds directly on more than 30 years of oncology expertise and provides a specialist development and commercial manufacturing partner for biotech and pharma customers working with complex small molecules. Shilpa CDMO will launch at CPHI Milan, which is being held from October 6-8.

HPAPI, ADC, and Peptide Services

Keshav Bhutada, chief executive officer of Shilpa CDMO, said the company has long been recognized among existing partners for its capabilities with challenging molecules such as high-potency APIs (HPAPIs) and peptides, and antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) payloads and linkers, PROTACs, and oligonucleotides.1

“With the growth and opportunity we are now seeing in the CDMO division, it became clear that we needed a much stronger and more distinct business that shows a broader range of innovators our extensive contract service capabilities for novel and complex molecules,” Bhutada said in a press release.1 “Shilpa Pharma’s CDMO division will therefore now go to market as Shilpa CDMO and is dedicated to complex molecule development. Essentially, we love working on our partners’ most challenging projects.”

Diversifying Strategies

The launch arrives as biotechnology companies in the United States and the European Union are diversifying their development and manufacturing strategies beyond China.1,2 While the global CDMO market includes hundreds of providers, the expertise and infrastructure needed to advance genuinely complex molecules remain concentrated among a relatively small number of organizations, many of which have limited near-term availability, are China-centric, or prioritize their largest customers, according to Shilpa CDMO.

“Available capacity is not the same as capable capacity,” said Yagnesh Solanki, director– CDMO at Shilpa CDMO, in a press release.1 “For a next-generation compound, the choice of CDMO can be the difference between a program progressing successfully and encountering years of avoidable redevelopment, delay, and additional cost.”

To meet rising demand, Shilpa CDMO is investing in a small-molecule development and manufacturing platform comprising 230 kL of reactor capacity, 3 R&D centers, more than 400 scientists, and 2 dedicated API manufacturing sites. The brand brings together dedicated R&D teams covering HPAPIs and oncology, peptides, ADC payloads and linkers, oligonucleotides, and PROTACs, with integrated capabilities spanning discovery and route scouting through process and analytical development to commercial drug-substance and finished-dose manufacturing.

A Tight Network

The company notes that its payload and linker chemistry sits within 200 miles of sister company Shilpa Biologicals, which provides antibody production, conjugation, and fill-finish services. For ADC and conjugate programs, this arrangement removes intercontinental shipping of intermediates, shortens development timelines, and simplifies the supply chain.

Dipak Kalita, senior vice president–CDMO Services at Shilpa CDMO, said new customers are often surprised by the breadth of the company's capabilities beyond its established oncology position. “We are also investing heavily in PROTACs and peptides,” Kalita said in a press release.1 “When paired with our sister company, Shilpa Biologicals—a complex-biologics CDMO—we offer payload and linker chemistry, antibody production, conjugation and fill-finish, all from sites inside 200 miles of each other. This is near unique among global CDMOs and means development timelines are faster and supply chains much simpler.”

At CPHI Milan, Shilpa CDMO will also announce details of new commercial-scale peptide manufacturing capabilities, further strengthening its ability to support complex peptide programs from development through commercial supply.

Shilpa CDMO operates from a 34-acre, 100% export-oriented campus in Raichur, Karnataka, alongside a second API manufacturing site, supporting partners from route scouting and process development through analytical development to commercial drug-substance and finished-dose supply. Capabilities span HPAPIs and OEB-5 potent compounds, peptides, ADC payloads and linkers, PROTACs, oligonucleotides, PEGs, and pharmaceutical polymers.

Attendees can meet Shilpa CDMO at CPHI Milan 2026, Fiera Milano, October 6–8, 2026, Stand 7B106.

References

1. Complex-molecule specialist Shilpa CDMO launches at CPHI Milan. Press release. Shilpa CDMO. September 9, 2026.

2. Zubulake Z, Davuluri S, Stanford J. PharmTech explained: China's biotech rise signals new risks for US manufacturers. PharmTech.com. August 18, 2026. https://www.pharmtech.com/view/chinas-rise-signals-risks-for-us-manufacturers