1897 - Foundation of Lonza AG Electricity Works in Gampel, Valais (Switzerland), on the banks of river Lonza. The electricity was used to manufacture calcium carbide and acetylene.
1909 - Lonza moves to Visp and manufactures synthetic fertilizers out of nitrogen, ammonia and Calcium carbide
1920 - Production of nitric acid, ketene, and diketene starts.
1956 - Start of Production of niacin, a vitamin of the B-group.
1965 - Change of the raw material base from carbide to naphtha and further development of backwards integration: intermediates and additives for pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, dyestuffs, colours, adhesives, etc.
1969 - Lonza expands to the USA and starts its business with chemical specialties.
1974 - Merger with Alusuisse and development into an internationally operating enterprise.
1980 - Lonza starts its biotechnological business.
1982 - Start of exclusive manufacturing of substances for pharmaceutical and agrochemical companies.
1992 - Lonza acquires a biotechnological production facility (fermentation) in the Czech Republic.
1996 - In Guangzhou, China, a joint venture is signed to build up a niacinamide plant primarily to satisfy the regional market needs.
1996 - Lonza acquires Celltech Biologics (GB and USA) and expands into the business with mammalian cell cultures and monoclonal antibodies.
1999 - Lonza is de-merged from the Alusuisse-Lonza Group and listed as an independent company at the Swiss stock exchange.
2004 - Lonza starts-up three 20’000-liter mammalian cell culture fermentation reactors in Portsmouth, NH (USA), the biggest single investment in its history.
2005 - Lonza announces a significant investment program in the expansion of its peptides manufacturing capacities in its production site in Visp, Switzerland.
2006 - Lonza carries out a series of strategic transactions aimed at transforming the company into one of the world’s leading suppliers of active pharmaceutical ingredients, biopharmaceuticals and research products to the pharmaceutical, healthcare and life-science industries.
• Acquisition of Bioproducts manufacturing division of UCB (Braine-L’Alleud, Belgium) positions Lonza as a leading global provider of peptides to the biopharmaceutical market.
• The fourth 20’000-liter bioreactor in Portsmouth, NH (USA) came on stream.
• IPO of Polynt S.p.A., Lonza’s Polymer Intermediates business. Lonza retains a minority stake in Polynt.
• Lonza announces the acquisition of the complementary Bioproducts and Biopharma businesses from Cambrex to further enhance Lonza’s capability to service the needs of the highgrowth life sciences R&D and pharmaceutical development industries. The acquisition also expands Lonza’s geographical footprint, particularly in the USA.
• Agreement with Genentech, one of the world’s largest biotechnology companies, to acquire mid-scale biopharmaceutical manufacturing operation in Porriño, Spain, providing significant manufacturing capacity two years earlier than planned. In addition, Lonza will build and start up a large-scale mammalian biopharmaceutical facility in Singapore which Genentech will have an exclusive option to buy upon US FDA licensure. In parallel, Lonza will build its own planned large-scale (4 x 20’000-liter) biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Singapore.
2007 - Lonza announced that it has completed the acquisition of the Research Bioproducts business and the Microbial Biopharmaceutical business of the US company Cambrex, published in October 2006.
• Lonza announced the acquisition of the assets of S.A.M. Electron Technologies based in Shawinigan (Canada). The acquisition of these assets is concurrent with an exclusive worldwide license for a cerium mediator electrochemical technology (CeTECH™) from Hydro-Québec and lease agreement with the City of Shawinigan. CeTECH™ is an electrochemical cerium based oxidation technology which can be used to produce a variety of high value added compounds. It has been demonstrated on a commercial scale for the production of vitamin K-3.
• Lonza finalizes the divestiture of its purified isophthalic acid plant in Singapore.
2008 - Lonza finalizes the selling of the majority of its shares in Polynt S.p.A.
• Lonza completes the aqcuisition of amaxa. The acquisition of amaxa is in line with Lonza’s strategy of growing its life-science platform. amaxa is a premium supplier to the cell discovery market with leading edge, proprietary technologies in well defined market niches of transfection systems. The deal further strengthens Lonza’s position as a worldwide leader in cell discovery by integrating this unique, proprietary technology into its portfolio and by continuing to develop the company’s activities.
2009 - Teva and Lonza announced their agreement to establish a joint venture to develop, manufacture and market a portfolio of biosimilars.
• Lonza strengthens its protein design technology offering for biopharmaceutical development by acquiring Algonomics NV (Gent, Belgium).
• Lonza expands its cell-biology platform by acquiring Simbiosys Biowares’ preclinical cell and molecular biology group.
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