Tredegar-based Penn Pharmaceutical Services Ltd, which employs 300 people, is set to be sold to a US firm in a £127m deal.

Penn Pharma announced an agreement for the sale of its business to Packaging Coordinators Inc.

The transaction provides a final exit for leading mid-market private equity firm LDC which invested £33m in 2007 with completion due shortly.

The pharmaceutical manufacturers’ specialism in drug development, manufacturing and packaging services will complement PCI’s growth in clinical trial and commercial supply services in both North America and Europe.

Penn Pharmaceuticals is a global provider of specialist pharmaceutical services headquartered in Tredegar and with offices in Japan and a US subsidiary based business development team. The company provides selected contract development and manufacturing organisation services to a global customer base to support the outsourcing needs of international customers including those in Europe, the USA and Japan.

In recent years, Penn Pharma has invested significantly in its capabilities and capacity.

In 2013 it opened a new world-class, purpose-built contained manufacturing facility in response to market need for specialist containment solutions for the development and manufacturing of solid dose products containing highly potent compounds. In 2014, it launched an additional capacity expansion programme for large-scale commercial manufacturing and packaging operations.

The continued investments made by Penn Pharma and the commitment to quality and customer service have ensured significant growth and has positioned the company in the specialist outsourcing market helping to grow existing business and drive significant opportunities with new customers.

Headquartered in Philadelphia, PCI is a trusted partner to the world’s largest and most successful pharmaceutical firms, offering services from early phase clinical studies through to large scale Phase III/IV, commercial launch, and ongoing supply. PCI partners with manufacturers, offering insight and expertise, combined with innovative technologies and an uncompromising commitment to exceptional service and quality.

Richard Yarwood, chief executive officer, Penn Pharma said: “By combining the expertise and resources of PCI and Penn Pharma, we are able to offer exceptional outsourcing solutions to the international healthcare industry. This is a very exciting time, the specialist expertise from Penn together with the experience and global footprint of PCI will provide even more opportunities to support our customers.”