The Australian contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) opened its self-funded AUD250m (USD174m) facility, Wonderland, in Eastern Creek, Western Sydney, in July.
The facility could triple production compared to current levels. Together with its other sites, it could drive the company’s combined capacity towards 30 billion doses a year.
“Our clients are growing, and many are consolidating their supply with CDMOs that can handle volume without compromising on quality,” said Dr Chami. “With Wonderland, we can take on larger programs, run more formats in parallel and shorten lead times, all onshore and under Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) licence.”
For the nutraceutical sector, Dr Chami said Vitex has set two key targets—expanding format offerings and driving export growth—over the next five years.
Gummies and effervescents are examples of new formats manufactured in the new facility.
“Until now, our core has been tablets, soft gel capsules, two-piece hard gel capsules, and powders,” she said. “Wonderland adds gummies, effervescents, probiotics, liquids, creams, and large-scale powder packing, from concept to shelf at scale. These formats give brands new ways to reach consumers.”
She also highlighted that format has become “a real point of competition”, although this does not mean that new formats would simply replace old ones.
“Tablets and capsules aren’t going anywhere. They still offer the best stability and the most precise dosing, and they remain the backbone of the category,” she said. “What’s changed is that the market has grown to make room for more formats. The brands winning shelf space are the ones that can offer both, and turn a new flavor or format into a finished product quickly.”
Pharmaceutical-grade quality expectations
Consumers are also increasingly expecting pharmaceutical-grade quality from the products they take every day, said Dr Chami.
In Australia, vitamins, minerals and herbal products are regulated as listed medicines, while products with higher-level health claims are TGA-assessed and products containing higher-risk ingredients are regulated as registered medicines.
Wonderland is built to manufacture products from over-the-counter, pharmacist-only, and prescription products.
“Every manufacturer needs a TGA licence and must meet the same international Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) code that applies to prescription drugs. In most major markets, including the US, UK and Europe, the same products are regulated as food, and manufacturers face a far lower bar. That difference is why Australian products carry so much weight overseas,” she said.
Demand for Australian-made products across Asia-Pacific (APAC) and beyond is also growing faster than supply. Wonderland aims to close that gap and enable brands to expand into new markets without worrying about production capacity.
Furthermore, the line between supplements and medicines is blurring—brands that started in vitamins are moving into pharmacy medicines, and pharmaceutical companies are entering the wellness space.
“Our response has been to invest ahead of demand. We manufacture to pharmaceutical standards, and Wonderland was designed around exactly these trends—new formats, registered medicine capability, and the capacity to scale fast,” said Dr Chami.
Later this year, the company will also be launching Australian Omega-3 (AO3), a large-scale biorefinery in Sydney co-founded by Dr Chami’s family.
“In a world first, AO3 will supply 100% Australian wild-caught, locally refined omega-3 concentrates. Most omega-3 sold in Australia is sourced and refined offshore, so AO3 gives brands something rare in this category—genuine supply chain security and provenance they can put on the label. It’s the first of several ingredients we intend to bring onshore.”
Selling stability and provenance
Products manufactured by Vitex are said to reach 26 countries, with China, India, the Middle East and Arabian Gulf among key markets.
A notable shift observed by the company in the past decade is that while it used to be mostly small and medium Australian brands selling abroad, multinational companies are now choosing to manufacture in Australia and use it as a springboard into APAC.
“COVID was a turning point. Brands learned the hard way about what happens when supply chains are stretched across the world. Manufacturing closer to their markets means faster turnaround, lower freight and inventory costs, and far less exposure to disruption,” Dr Chami explained. “Australia also offers regulatory stability. A product made under TGA licence gives brands a trusted, consistent basis for registering in markets across the region.”
This is crucial because in many markets, the manufacturing site is included in the product registration. Switching from one CDMO to another can mean re-registering in every market, which takes time and money.
“So when a brand chooses a CDMO, they’re choosing a long-term partner, and they need to know that partner will still be here, strong and stable, in 10 and 20 years. That’s where our ownership matters. Vitex is one of the few 100% Australian-owned and -operated CDMOs in the country.”
At the same time, the company believes that it is not just selling its services but also Australian provenance.
“The TGA carries enormous credibility across APAC, and Australia’s clean, green reputation is a genuine premium that consumers will pay more for. That reputation is one of the most valuable things we make, and Wonderland gives our clients the capacity to grow with it.”
