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History

From humble beginnings over 50 years ago, we’ve grown into a trusted international partner with the expertise, capacity and commitment needed to take your medicines from discovery through to market.

The Ofichem story so far

From its beginnings in Dr. Oldenziel’s home, Ofichem has grown with care and dedication — always keeping people, progress, and quality at the heart of its journey.

1975

Oldenziel Fine Chemicals was founded

Oldenziel Fine Chemicals was founded in the home of Dr Oldenziel and his wife. The company spent its first year operating from the couple’s garage before moving to an old milk factory for the next decade. It was always known as Ofichem, which began as an abbreviation of Oldenziel Fine Chemicals.

1986

Moved to Ter Apel

The company moved to Heembadweg, Ter Apel – its current location.

2001

Entered Sourcing and Distribution

Set-up of the first affiliated company for sourcing and distribution

2001

A move into sourcing and distribution

Set-up of the first affiliated company for sourcing and distribution

2004

Renamed as Ofichem

In 2004, Ofichem was officially founded, and offices were opened in Paris, France and Barcelona, Spain.

2004

Expanded sourcing and distribution capabilities

Set-up of the second affiliated company for sourcing and distribution

2006

Management succession

In 2006, Dr. OH Oldenziel passed away and was succeeded by his son, Dr Weite Oldenziel.

2008

Reshaped with GMP at the core

With quality requirements for APIs evolving rapidly in a globalising market, Ofichem reshaped itself with GMP at the core — proving that for us, quality isn’t a promise; it’s a habit built into every detail.

2008

Expanded capabilities and began as a CDMO

The R&D facilities of Ofichem were expanded and began business as a CDMO.

2011

Further expanded sourcing and distribution offering

Set-up of the third affiliated company for sourcing and distribution

2015

First FDA inspection

Man conducting quality assurance and GMP compliance at Ofichem CDMO.

2018

Ofichem updated and restructured

From 2018-2020, almost all parts of the company were updated and restructured:

  • New business premises were built.
  • New leadership was appointed for each department.
  • All processes and regulations achieved GMP compliance.

2021

Further R&D Capabilities

Ofichem built a new R&D lab to expand its already extensive offering.

2023

Ofichem acquired InnoGenerics

Ofichem acquired InnoGenerics in Leiden, entering the drug product manufacturing market in oral solid dosage forms.

2025

Ofichem acquired Avivia and OT Chemistry

Ofichem acquired both Avivia in Nijmegen, strengthening the formulation development capabilities, and OT Chemistry in Uppsala, Sweden, to expand the preclinical drug substance development services and enable a full range of support from early development to commercialisation.

Looking Ahead

Our acquisitions reflect one mission: to stand beside our partners from early development through to commercialisation. The synergy between the different business units makes Ofichem a strong and stable player in the market. By combining our scientific, innovative skills with our network of distribution activities, we can support partners in solving their challenges in the best possible way.

Ofichem is continuously focused on internationalisation and expansion, offering additional manufacturing capacities and capabilities to serve our international customer base. 

Still independent and family-owned, we are ready for the future. 

Man conducting quality assurance and GMP compliance at Ofichem CDMO
Man with hand on his chin overseeing governance excellence.

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