Celularity and Vesalius Longevity Labs sign exclusive peptide API manufacturing deal

Celularity Inc. (Nasdaq: CELU) and Vesalius Longevity Labs Inc. announced on October 29, 2026 that they had entered into an exclusive manufacturing agreement to establish a dedicated, first-of-its-kind, U.S. final stage API manufacturing and supply platform for Vesalius's Peptual-branded active pharmaceutical ingredients.¹ The work will take place at Celularity's Florham Park, New Jersey facility, applying its U.S.-based manufacturing infrastructure and technical capabilities to Vesalius's Peptual peptide API development.¹

Under the arrangement, Celularity will handle downstream purification, processing, analytical testing and manufacturing steps starting from bulk peptide material that Vesalius's suppliers provide.¹ The companies said the goal is to set up peptide-specific manufacturing processes that meet cGMP requirements, backed by defined product specifications, documented sourcing and lot-level traceability.¹

The companies also said the collaboration is meant to prepare them for possible regulatory changes: if the FDA, after considering recommendations from its Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, adds covered peptide substances and forms to the list of bulk drug substances allowed in compounding under federal law, the parties intend to supply eligible Peptual-branded APIs to licensed U.S. compounding pharmacies.¹ The deal excludes manufacturing of GLP-1 receptor agonists or other weight-loss peptides, which fall outside Vesalius's business model.¹

The companies tied the announcement to broader scrutiny of imported pharmaceutical ingredients, noting that the FDA has raised concerns about peptide APIs from unverified foreign sources and has urged compounding pharmacies to verify suppliers and identify original API manufacturers.¹

The release carries a regulatory notice stating that the peptides and APIs described are not FDA-approved drug products, and compounded drugs are not reviewed by the FDA for safety, effectiveness or manufacturing quality before marketing.¹ It further cautions that signing the collaboration agreement and completing development or qualification work do not themselves authorize commercial release, distribution or use of any peptide API, and availability depends on applicable law, FDA policy and local requirements.¹