Marchesini Group and AST announce partnership to strengthen aseptic production capacity

Marchesini Group, expert in pharmaceutical packaging machinery, and AST, a U.S manufacturer in the drug product manufacturing industry, have entered a strategic partnership that combines the expertise, technologies, and global reach of two highly respected industry leaders. The partnership will strengthen their position in sterile fill-finish production by delivering increasingly advanced, integrated and comprehensive solutions. This agreement will provide both companies with greater production capacity and an extended global network for technical assistance and support, while consolidating distribution networks and sales channels across North America, Europe, Asia, and other strategic regions.

Specifically, Marchesini Group has acquired a 44.39% equity stake in AST, further enriching its portfolio of aseptic packaging solutions. AST’s technologies, advanced aseptic filling and closing systems for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, will complement those of the Group’s two production plants: Corima, the Tuscan plant that is a benchmark in Italy for sterile product filling, and MAR, specialized in precision filling and capping machines for liquid and powder products.

“This investment confirms our commitment to continued growth,” affirms Maurizio Marchesini, President of Marchesini Group. “It’s not driven by ambition alone, but by the desire to build strategic partnerships that allow us to offer our customers increasingly comprehensive and technologically advanced solutions. This is especially crucial in the field of aseptic filling, where product protection and innovation demand cutting-edge equipment”. He adds: “I would like to emphasize that AST’s entry into the Group and our focus on the U.S. market do not imply a shift in production away from our territory. We will continue to invest in Italy, strengthening our presence, as demonstrated by the recent expansion of the Barberino di Mugello facility and the planned enlargement of Corima’s production site in Siena.”

The partnership will expand market presence without losing connection to local markets and unites two strong organizations with complementary capabilities, enabling greater efficiency, enhanced market presence, and the realization of significant synergies.

“This operation allows us to further expand our portfolio of aseptic fill-finish machines,” remarks Valerio Soli, CEO of Marchesini Group. “The pharmaceutical market is heavily investing in the development of new therapies, such as anticancer treatments, as well as in complex biotechnological production processes that demand extremely high processing standards. The partnership with AST will enable us to strengthen the know-how and further specialize in the design of customized systems tailored to our clients’ specific needs. Moreover, this collaboration will help us consolidate our presence in the United States, confirming the commitment to grow in a strategic and constantly evolving market.”

As part of this strategic partnership, AST’s Chairman and CEO Joe Hoff will increase his ownership stake in AST, underscoring the shared commitment to long-term growth and innovation of both parties. Joe Hoff will remain the Chairman and CEO of AST and will join the steering committee of the Aseptic Division of the Marchesini Group which leads the sterile fill-finish and drug product manufacturing segment.