Noramco Announces Strategic Alignment With Purisys and Halo Pharma, Launching the Noramco Group

Noramco, announced its launch of the Noramco Group, a newly created comprehensive North American-based supply chain solution including subsidiaries Purisys, Noramco, and the newly acquired drug product CDMO, Halo Pharma. This strategic combination unites the strengths of these entities to provide a robust, North American-based supply chain solution for both clinical and commercial APIs and drug products.

In the wake of escalating drug shortages in the United States and quality concerns that are disrupting patient access, Noramco is taking a pivotal step to address these critical issues. The current crisis, primarily driven by lack of reliable foreign supply, limited domestic manufacturing capacity for APIs and drug products, and logistical bottlenecks, has led to unprecedented challenges in ensuring the availability of essential medications. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the fragility of the existing system, heavily reliant on overseas manufacturing (often from a single foreign source of supply) and exposed the risks of a globalized supply network.^1,2  In response, Noramco is championing a shift towards enhanced supply chain performance and increased domestic production in North America with the formation of the Noramco Group.

Lee Karras, CEO of the Noramco Group, emphasized the importance of this alignment in the current market, stating, "The COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical vulnerabilities in our drug supply chain. Government responses, while well-intentioned, proved to be somewhat superficial, leaving the threat of future disruptions unaddressed. The formation of the Noramco Group is our proactive solution to some of these challenges. We are uniquely positioned to provide our customers with a complete, North American-based supply chain solution. By leveraging our advanced manufacturing capabilities, stringent quality control and compliance measures, and timely delivery, we aim to mitigate the risks associated with drug shortages and ensure a stable and reliable supply of vital APIs and drug products. We are committed to supporting patients by ensuring the supply of critical, lifesaving drugs.”

Noramco, based in Wilmington, Delaware, supplies commercial APIs globally, supporting various medical treatments such as, pain management and drug abuse treatment. Purisys, located in Athens, Georgia, offers specialized clinical API development and manufacturing services, focusing on controlled substances and pharmaceutical reference standards. Halo Pharma, with operations in Whippany, New Jersey, and Montreal, Quebec, is a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) that provides a wide range of manufacturing services for diverse dosage forms, catering to both brand and generic pharmaceutical clients from development through commercialization.

The alignment of these three companies is set to reduce overall complexity in industry processes, minimize logistics costs, and improve regulatory compliance. A notable benefit, especially for pharma and biotech companies working with New Chemical Entities (NCEs), includes the protection of intellectual property with a known domestic source. Additionally, the new Noramco Group structure of combined API and drug product CDMO services in North America could potentially increase opportunities for securing National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other government grants and contracts. This strategic move positions the Noramco Group at the forefront of U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain reliability.