Puurs, Belgium, June 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Purna Pharmaceuticals (“Purna”), a specialty contract development and manufacturing organization and portfolio company of Ampersand Capital Partners (“Ampersand”), today announced the appointment of Marc Verbruggen as Managing Director, effective June 1, 2026. Purna specializes in the development, manufacture and supply of liquid and semi-solid pharmaceutical products. Dr. Stefan Beyer, who is an Ampersand Executive Advisor and has served as Purna’s Interim Managing Director, has joined the company’s Board of Directors as its Chairman.
Mr. Verbruggen joins Purna from Normec Healthcare Belgium, where he served as Managing Director. Previously, he was Group CEO of Qualiphar NV and held various site leadership roles at Novartis, Johnson & Johnson and Janssen Pharmaceutica. Mr. Verbruggen began his professional career at Monsanto as a production and process engineer after earning a Master’s degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering from KU Leuven and an MBA from Antwerp Management School.
“Marc is a proven leader with a history of driving growth and operational improvement in complex pharmaceutical manufacturing environments,” said Hidde van Kerckhoven, Ampersand Principal and Purna Board member. “His diverse operating experience across global pharmaceutical organizations as well as smaller, private businesses, combined with his strategic and people-focused leadership style, make him the right person to lead Purna through its next phase of growth. We also want to thank Stefan for his outstanding leadership during this transition period and are pleased that Purna will continue to benefit from his guidance on the Board.”
“I am delighted to join Purna at such a pivotal moment in the company’s evolution,” said Mr. Verbruggen. “Purna has built a reputation for flexibility and responsiveness partnering with customers over more than 25 years. I look forward to working with Purna’s talented team and Ampersand to build on that foundation by strengthening the company’s capabilities, accelerating its growth and delivering enhanced value to its customers and partners in the pharmaceutical industry.”
About Purna
Established in 1986 and located in Puurs, Belgium, Purna is a contract development and manufacturing organization specializing in semi-solid and liquid pharmaceutical products that meet GXP standards and specific, customer-related requirements. Purna’s agile and efficient operating model allows the company to successfully serve the development and manufacturing needs of emerging, mid-sized and global pharmaceutical companies for dosage forms that include creams, ointments, pastes, gels, liquid solutions, suspensions and emulsions. Please visit www.purna.be to learn more.
About Ampersand Capital Partners
Ampersand Capital Partners, founded in 1988, is a middle-market private equity firm with over $4 billion of assets under management, dedicated to growth-oriented investments in the healthcare sector. With offices in Boston, Amsterdam, and London, Ampersand leverages a unique blend of private equity and operating experience to build value and drive long-term performance alongside its portfolio company management teams. Ampersand has helped build numerous market-leading companies across each of the firm’s core healthcare sectors. For additional information, visit www.ampersandcapital.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
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Wesley De Jaeghere Purna Pharmaceuticals wdj@purna.be
