From start-up to expansion: Lexington drug manufacturer opens new facility
A drug manufacturer officially opened an expanded location in Lexington Thursday, enabling the company to up production of its nasal sprays.
Kindeva, which was started through research birthed at the University of Kentucky in 2009, has moved its operations to a larger building at UK Coldstream Research Park. It enables it to up its production of nasal-based sprays used to administer drugs that reverse opioid overdoses, migraines and medications to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
Started as Summit Biosciences in 2009, the drug device manufacturer was acquired by Kindeva in 2024. It had offices in UK Coldstream Research Park but outgrew its former space and recently moved to a more than 70,000-square-foot building at Bull Lea Road and Newtown Pike.
“This story started long before I got here” said UK President Eli Capilouto during a ceremony Thursday to celebrate the expansion of the business. From start up at UK to its current expansion, Kindeva “is a testament to the culture that we birthed here 160 years ago,” he said.
Demand for nasal-based medicines has continued to grow and expand, said Kindeva Vice President Simon Scholte, who oversees Kindeva Drug Delivery in Lexington.
“Sales have grown year over year,” Scholte said.
The company is not allowed to say who its clients are due to confidentiality agreements, but its nasal delivery systems are used in medications that are sold in the United States, Australia and in Europe.
The company has had to staff up at its new Lexington location to meet that demand, recently adding a third manufacturing shift. Scholte said the manufacturing facility on Bull Lea Road move from five to seven days a week in the next 18 to 24 months, which means adding more staff.
Those jobs will span from entry-level manufacturing staff to engineers, he said.
It has more than 150 employees.
Scholte said they have been able to work with Commerce Lexington, the local business chamber, to connect with UK, Eastern Kentucky University, Bluegrass Community and Technical College and Fayette County Public Schools to recruit and hire local talent.
Scholte, the first person to go to college in his family, said one of the bonuses of expanding Kindeva is giving opportunities to people who may not know pharmaceutical manufacturing has so many different jobs and entry points.
“I am super passionate about giving kids an opportunity who may not think they have one,” he said.
