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Catalent eyes a Japanese expansion after 40 years in the country

Contract developer Catalent is planning to open a new facility in Japan as it marks 40 years doing business in the country, looking to expand its scale in R&D and manufacturing.

The new facility, slated to open in September, will sit within Catalent's 107,000-square-foot outpost in Kakegawa and support proof-of-concept and feasibility studies involving the company's Zydis dissolvable tablets plus manufacturing of its proprietary softgel technology.

Catalent has also appointed its first country leader for Japan, tapping Johnson & Johnson ($JNJ) veteran Tadahiro Matsumura to oversee its business development in the country's growing market for drug development services.

"We are delighted to welcome Mr. Matsumura to the team in Japan as we celebrate 40 years in the Japanese market," Catalent Asia Pacific President David Heyens said in a statement. "He brings a wealth of experience of the Japanese pharmaceutical market and will be a great asset for our continued growth in the region."

Catalent has amped up its global focus over the past few years, striking deals and breaking ground in China, Brazil and South Korea with a focus on clinical trials and manufacturing.

And the expansion push shows up on the balance sheet. Last quarter, Catalent brought in $453.1 million in revenue--up 1% from the same period in 2013--as growth in its medication delivery and clinical development segments offset declines in modified release and oral technologies, the company said. The outsourcing mainstay posted a $6.7 million profit on the quarter, beating out last year's $18.8 million loss after shaking off charges tied to restructuring.

- read the statement