A roundup of the latest news from suppliers, contract development and manufacturing organizations and contract manufacturing organizations, featuring Catalent Pharma Solutions, MilliporeSigma, Metrics Contract Services, Samsung Biologics, PMI BioPharma Solutions, and Science Exchange.

Chemicals/Chemical API Manufacturing

Catalent to Open Second Clinical Supply Facility in China
Catalent Pharma Solutions plans to invest $2.5 million in a new, second clinical supply facility in Shanghai, China, due to open in early 2019. When completed, the 30,000-square-feet facility is expected to employ 100 people and double Catalent’s total clinical storage capacity in China.

Source: Catalent Pharma Solutions

Biologics Manufacturing

MilliporeSigma Launches New Continuous Bioprocessing Platform
MilliporeSigma has launched its new BioContinuum Platform to advance biotherapeutic drug manufacturing through improved efficiency, simplified plant operations, and greater quality and consistency.

Continuous bioprocessing involves integration of what are typically batch-based, separate manufacturing steps into a connected process, enabling continuous flow from the addition of raw materials through product harvest, purification and testing, according to information from MilliporeSigma.

Source: MilliporeSigma

Samsung BioLogics Closes Asset-Transfer Deal with Biogen
Samsung BioLogics, an Incheon, Korea-based contract biologics manufacturer, has closed an asset-transfer deal with Biogen related to the call option of Samsung Bioepis, a biosimilars joint venture of Samsung BioLogics and Biogen.

Samsung BioLogics transferred 9,226,068 shares of Samsung Bioepis to Biogen on November 7th, 2018, and Biogen paid Samsung BioLogics about KRW 759.5 billion ($674 million), including the amount and interest of the acquired shares.

Samsung BioLogics and Biogen agreed on the call option that Biogen could purchase up to 50% -1 stake in Samsung Bioepis at the time of signing shareholders’ agreement for the establishment of the joint venture, Samsung Bioepis, in December 2011. Biogen exercised the call option in June 2018.

Source: Samsung BioLogics

Packaging

Metrics Contract Services Expands Granulation Capabilities
Metrics Contract Services, the contract pharmaceutical development and manufacturing division of Mayne Pharma, has announced the successful qualification of two commercial bottling lines for serialization at its new $80-million oral solid-dose commercial manufacturing site in Greenville, North Carolina.

As part of the Greenville site expansion, packaging capacity has more than doubled. One bottling line is dedicated for clinical packaging, and two commercial bottling lines have been qualified for serialization. The investment in the lines for serialization were made to comply with the new requirements associated with the US Drug Supply Chain Security Act, which are subject to enforcement starting November 2018, according to the company.

Source: Metrics Contract Services

General

PMI Biopharma Solutions Names CEO
PMI BioPharma Solutions, a new contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) formed in January of 2018, appointed David Sunseri, PhD, as Chief Executive Officer, effective August 2018. The company announced the appointment earlier this month (November 2018). He previously served as Senior Vice President, Pharmaceutical Development and Chief Business Development Officer at PMI BioPharma Solutions.

Prior to PMI Bio, Dr. Sunseri spent almost four years at Berg, LLC, a Framingham, Massachusetts-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, in positions of increasing responsibility leading all aspects of chemistry, manufacturing and control (CMC) during this time. Most recently, he was the Vice President, Product Development responsible for clinical trial manufacturing, engineering operations, supply chain, and formulations. He spent approximately 10 years with Schering-Plough and Merck & Co. in small molecule inhalation and parenteral development and commercial manufacturing of inhalation and medical device products.

Source: PMI Biopharma Solutions

Science Exchange Partners with Corning
Science Exchange, a Palo Alto, California-headquartered enterprise platform for outsourced research and development services, has partnered with Corning Life Sciences, to offer online access to Corning’s ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion)/Tox services to scientists.

Source: Science Exchange