Shin-Etsu Chemical Invests 10 Billion Yen to Expand Pharmaceutical Cellulose Business in Germany and Japan

Shin-Etsu Chemical will invest in its two bases, SE Tylose GmbH & Co. (Wiesbaden, Germany) and Naoetsu Plant (Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture), to strengthen its pharmaceutical cellulose business.

In Germany, a new pharmaceutical excipient L-HPC production facility will be built next to the existing plant to form a dual base with the Naoetsu Plant. The new production facility is scheduled to be completed in the second half of 2026.

The Naoetsu Plant will double the storage capacity of pharmaceutical cellulose warehouses in the neighboring area to strengthen the ability to ensure stable supply and respond to emergencies. Completion is expected to be the end of 2025. The total investment is expected to be 10 billion yen.

Following the announcement in March 2024 to expand the production capacity of pharmaceutical excipient Shin-Etsu AQOAT, Shin-Etsu Chemical will also actively invest in high-performance pharmaceutical cellulose to improve its supply system as a pharmaceutical excipient manufacturer.

Shin-Etsu Chemical's pharmaceutical cellulose is made from plant pulp and is widely used as a tablet coating agent and disintegrant because it is safe for the human body.

L-HPC is a tablet disintegrant independently developed by Shin-Etsu Chemical and supplied to customers around the world.