Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, Recipharm and Aphena Expand

The latest news from CDMOs, CMOs, and suppliers, featuring news from Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies and Recipharma. 

Biologics manufacturing

Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies to Expand UK Site with New BioCampus

Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, a biologics contract development and manufacturing organization, has announced an expansion to its UK site through the creation of a new BioCampus.

The initial phase of this project will involve a new purpose-built facility. This will consist of approximately 42,000 square feet of space and will house approximately 250 of the company’s existing staff and the addition of approximately 50 new employees. It is expected that the new jobs will be filled within the span of two years.

The total cost of the BioCampus project is estimated to be £12.6 million ($16.4 million). The expansion will be partly supported by the Tess Valley Combined Authority through grant funding up to £3.625 million ($4.717 million). These funds will help to kick start the first stage of the BioCampus while at the same time enabling subsequent phases of investment and development planned by the company.

The investment is part of a strategic growth plan. In September 2017, the company announced the opening of 10,000-square foot cell-culture process development laboratories in Wilton Centre, Teesside, UK. In January 2019, the Wilton Laboratories were further expanded with the addition of 7,000 square feet of laboratory space increasing the company’s cell-culture process development capacity. The new space will also support dedicated process characterization activities.

Earlier this year (March 2019), Fujifilm agreed to acquire from Biogen a large-scale biologics manufacturing site in Hillerød near Copenhagen, Denmark for approximately $890 million to add to its contract manufacturing activities. The Biogen Hillerød site is equipped with 6 x 15,000-L bioreactors for the manufacture of cell-culture derived biologics. This acquisition is expected to be completed approximately  in August 2019, subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of required regulatory approvals from competition authorities.

Source: Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies

Formulation Development/Drug Product Manufacturing

Recipharm Launches Inhalation Drug Services

Recipharm, a contract development and manufacturing organization, has launched an end-to-end inhalation offering from early stage development through to commercial manufacturing.

Recipharm Inhalation Solutions provides outsourcing services for inhalation products, including metered-dose inhalers, dry-powder inhalers, and nasal sprays. It includes analytical services for inhalation products, including extractable and leachable expertise, a dedicated pilot facility composed of several suites, and the technical ability to work with different devices, combinations, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and suspension formulations.

The offering follows the acquisition of Sanofi’s inhalation manufacturing business in Holmes Chapel, UK in June 2018. The facility is supported by Recipharm’s inhalation development expertise in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

Source: Recipharm

Packaging

Aphena Pharma Solutions Plans $7 Million Investment

Aphena Pharma Solutions, a  provider of contract packaging and manufacturing, has approved $7 million for company-wide expansions, to be completed by the end of 2019, for additional manufacturing space, custom blending suites, new liquid blending vessels, and an additional high-speed bottling line. 

The investment will add: (1) additional large pharmaceutical blending suites with separate air handling systems in the company’s manufacturing facility in Maryland; (2) two tri-mix blending tanks with counter-rotating sweep and high-shear mixing with vacuum to handle small and large batching for specialty creams, gels, and topical products; (3) a 30,000-square-foot expansion of the company’s Tennessee facility; and (4) an additional high-speed, fully-automated bottling line with serialization in the company’s Tennessee facility to support over-the-counter and prescription products.

Source: Aphena Pharma Solutions

Editor’s note: The above article was updated to include further information on Fujifilm’s previously announced pending acquisition from Biogen of a large-scale biologics manufacturing site in Hillerød near Copenhagen, Denmark. 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *