AGC To Invest $90 Million to Triple US Biopharmaceutical Production Capacity
AGC Biologics, a contract manufacturer of biologics, has finalized plans to install 12 additional 2,000-liter single-use mammalian cell bioreactors and to establish a brand-new microbial contract development and manufacturing facility at its site in Seattle. The total investment for this expansion is estimated at 10 billion yen ($90 million) with full-scale operations slated to start from July 2020.
AGC Biologics’ current microbial capacities are in Europe and Japan, and the addition of the Seattle facility will provide wider regional coverage across the continents for microbial services as well. Once operational, AGC’s biopharmaceutical production capacity in the US will be tripled.
AGC Biologics is part of AGC Inc., a manufacturer of glass, chemicals and high-tech materials. AGC has made it a strategic goal to grow its life science-related business with the aim of reaching revenues in this segment in the 100-billion yen ($900-million) range by 2025. AGC has developed manufacturing and sales bases in Europe and the US through the acquisitions of Biomeva in 2016 and CMC Biologics in 2017. Since then, the company has been making multiple investments in equipment and facilities at its locations across Japan, Europe, and the US.
Source: AGC Inc.