West Pharmaceutical Services Hit by Ransomware Attack
West Pharmaceutical Services, a large Pennsylvania pharmaceutical company, has reported a ransomware attack that has impacted critical systems used to ship, receive and manufacture products. The company filed a report with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday evening, warning customers that a hacker breached the company network on May 4, stole data and encrypted systems.
The incident has temporarily disrupted the company's business operations globally, according to the company's general counsel. However, West Pharmaceutical has restored its core enterprise systems, and critical processes for shipping, receiving, and manufacturing have restarted at some sites, with restoration of the remaining sites in process.
Response to the Attack
A spokesperson for the company stated that West Pharmaceutical shut down and isolated on-premise infrastructure that was affected, restricted access to enterprise systems, and notified law enforcement. The company has also hired Palo Alto Networks' incident response team, Unit 42, to lead the investigation into the ransomware attack and contain the incident.
West Pharmaceutical is still investigating what information was stolen during the initial breach and is unsure of the financial impact of the attack. The company is leveraging its business continuity plans and working with customers to mitigate risk and minimize delays wherever possible.
Impact on the Healthcare Industry
The healthcare industry has faced an increased number of attacks in 2026 from both nation-state actors and cybercriminals, according to cybersecurity experts. Errol Weiss, chief security officer at healthcare information sharing organization Health ISAC, stated that they are seeing a sustained, high level of malicious activity targeting the healthcare sector.
Weiss expressed concern that the same access and techniques used in these attacks could be used interchangeably for espionage, financial gain, or destructive impact, which could put people's lives in danger if healthcare services are interrupted. No ransomware gang has taken credit for the attack as of Tuesday, but the company has taken steps to mitigate the risk of dissemination of the exfiltrated data.
About West Pharmaceutical Services
West Pharmaceutical Services is one of the largest providers of injectable solutions, partnering with drug developers to ensure medicine can be delivered safely to patients. The company makes stoppers and seals for injectable packaging, components for syringes and cartridges, auto-injectors, wearable injectors, and other devices. West Pharmaceutical has more than 10,000 employees across 50 locations globally and reported net sales of more than $3 billion in 2025.
- West Pharmaceutical Services has over 10,000 employees across 50 locations globally.
- The company reported net sales of more than $3 billion in 2025.
- West Pharmaceutical is a leading provider of injectable solutions and partners with drug developers to ensure safe delivery of medicine to patients.
What worries me most is that the same access and techniques could be used interchangeably for espionage, financial gain, or destructive impact — any of which could put people's lives in danger if healthcare services are interrupted. - Errol Weiss, Chief Security Officer at Health ISAC
The investigation into the ransomware attack is ongoing, and West Pharmaceutical Services is working to restore its systems and minimize delays. The company's proactive response to the incident has helped to mitigate the impact, but the timeline for complete restoration has not yet been finalized.
Source: The Record