Lonza and Bristol-Myers Squibb have announced a multi-year expansion of their existing biologics manufacturing agreement. The contract expansion will include the production of commercial quantities of a second Bristol-Myers Squibb biologic medicine at Lonza's mammalian manufacturing facility in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Bristol-Myers Squibb and Lonza have been collaborating since 2003 to produce commercial supplies of a biologics medicine marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb worldwide. Currently, Lonza also produces clinical supplies of an investigational biologics medicine for Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Our expanded relationship with Lonza is an important example of our global manufacturing strategy to meet anticipated demand for our commercial biologics portfolio and prepare to bring our late-stage clinical assets to patients by supplementing our in-house manufacturing capabilities,” said Lou Schmukler, president, Global Manufacturing & Supply, Bristol-Myers Squibb, in a company release.

Lonza's development and manufacturing facilities consists of expression systems and platform processes for scale-up throughout the clinical pipeline. In addition to its Portsmouth facility, Lonza offers three additional clinical-to-commercial mammalian production facilities in Tuas, Singapore; Porrino, Spain; and Slough, United Kingdom.

Source: Bristol-Myers Squibb