Whilst our history goes back much further, Bespak® has come a long way in the past 12 months—both in growing our own identity as the specialist inhalation CDMO, and in the milestones we have achieved along the way. Our successful carve-out from Recipharm set the stage for us to create our own vision, and now, Bespak is once again known throughout the industry–except this time, for much more than our market-leading valves.
From embracing new partnerships to expanding our manufacturing capabilities, we've worked tirelessly to solidify our position in the market and grow awareness of our complete offering for customers transitioning to low Global Warming Potential (GWP) propellants in pressurised Metered Dose Inhalers (pMDIs).
We’re joining with fellow leaders in the biopharma manufacturing industry at DCAT 2025 and proudly looking back at the past year and the progress we’ve made as a business. But, more importantly, we’re excited to reflect on how we’re already shaping the future of our industry and the lives of patients.
A commitment to sustainability
Sustainability is important to us at Bespak, not only in terms of reducing the environmental impact of our overall operations, but also in motivating us to drive progress in the industry. Leading the shift to low GWP propellants has been one of our top priorities this past year, and we’ve made significant investments to align with this goal.
This year saw the successful expansion of our Holmes Chapel facility, ensuring we can support customers in their transition to both low GWP propellants, HFA-152a and HFO-1234ze. Our MP, Sarah Russell, visited us at our site, highlighting the significance of our expansion plans and the role we play in supporting both local economies and the broader industry. During the visit, we officially announced our commitment to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Net-Zero Standard; a corporate climate action organisation that enables companies worldwide to play their part in combating the climate crisis. This year, we also celebrated the installation of a new high-volume pMDI valve assembly line at our King’s Lynn site to meet the growing demand for valves for low GWP pMDIs. What’s clear is that this new capacity is in high demand, and this only serves to demonstrate the impressive rate of growth and evolution of the pMDI industry
These investments and commitments underscore our drive to execute our vision and meet the evolving needs of the industry. As we continue to lead the charge on sustainability, we’re focused on transparency and accountability. That’s why we’ve developed a strategic roadmap that not only addresses emissions and decarbonisation, but also focuses on preserving biodiversity, implementing circular economy initiatives and advancing social responsibility. Our environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy is central to everything we do, making sure that each part of our process reflects the core principles that define us. We look forward to publishing our first ESG update for 2025 very soon.
Setting new standards
On top of establishing our position in the market and dedicating ourselves to sustainability, this year, we’ve also achieved some exciting, tangible results that reflect our efforts:
We reached key milestones in the transfer of our North Carolina capability to Holmes Chapel.
We collaborated with H&T Presspart to install a new GMP pilot-scale filling line with for pMDIs using HFA-152a and HFO-1234ze.
We lead the market as the first CDMO to manufacture pMDIs with HFO-1234ze at commercial scale, with lines from DH Industries (Pamasol).
As well as being extremely proud of these achievements, our hard work has also been recognised by external accolades. For example, our Holmes Chapel site was awarded the prestigious Operational Excellence Award at the Pharma Industry Awards UK 2024. The site also achieved a gold EcoVadis sustainability rating. Furthermore, our Injection Moulding Academy at our King’s Lynn site received Best Training & Development Programme at the Plastics Industry Awards 2024. These accolades demonstrate our success in not only driving operational efficiency but also in advancing our commitment to sustainability and innovation within the industry.
Building on strong partnerships
Our success is bolstered by our relationships with our partners. Through collaboration with leading industry players, we’ve built a robust network, including Honeywell, Koura (Orbia), OzUK, H&T Presspart, DH Industries (Pamasol) and the Medicines Evaluation Unit. These partnerships are critical as we work towards leading the transition to low GWP propellants and reaching our sustainability goals. We have an entire industry to change, and nobody can do it by acting alone; we value working with this network of experts in their respective fields, and the benefits this network brings to our customers.
Looking ahead
We’ve built a solid foundation for success at Bespak, but the real strength lies in our ability to deliver—on our promises, our goals and our vision for the future. Together with our partners, we will continue to lead the way in innovation, sustainability and operational excellence, whilst always keeping the needs of our customers, patients and the planet at the heart of everything we do.
Reflecting on the past year, I am filled with pride in our collective achievements. But, as we embark on the green propellant transition, we recognise that its success depends on the collective efforts of the entire industry. We’ve come a long way, and we look forward to collaborating with our customers, partners, suppliers and industry experts as we continue to help millions breathe more easily.
