The latest from CDMOs, CMOs, and suppliers featuring AGC Biologics, Samsung Biologics, Bend Bioscience and Thermo Fisher Scientific/Xcell Biosciences.  

Biologics Manufacturing 
* AGC Biologics Begins Process Development & Clinical Mfg at Japan site 
* Samsung Biologics Launches Drug-Screening Services  
* Thermo Fisher, Xcell Biosciences Partner for Cell Therapy Advancement
Formulation Development/Drug Product Manufacturing 
* Bend Bioscience Opens Process Development, Mfg Suites for Solid Dosage Forms 

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Biologics Manufacturing 

AGC Biologics Begins Process Development & Clinical Mfg at Japan site 
AGC Biologics, a CDMO of biologics, has announced that it will commence cell-therapy process development and clinical manufacturing services on July 1, 2025, at its Yokohama, Japan, technical center.  

This new site precedes the opening of a new AGC Biologics Yokohama manufacturing facility on schedule to be operational in 2027 with preclinical through commercial services for mammalian-based protein biologics, cell therapies, and messenger RNA. 

The updated geographical footprint enables AGC’s cell therapy manufacturing at sites in: Milan, Italy; Longmont, Colorado; and Yokohama, Japan.. 

Source: AGC Biologics 

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Samsung Biologics Launches Drug Screening Services 
Samsung Biologics has announced the launch of Samsung Organoids, advanced drug-screening services. Organoids are three-dimensional cell-culture systems engineered to closely mimic human organs to provide clinically relevant insights to better understand specific drug responses and improve lead selection.  

Source: Samsung Biologics 

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Thermo Fisher, Xcell Biosciences Partner for Cell Therapy Advancement 
Thermo Fisher Scientific has entered an agreement with Xcell Biosciences, a San Francisco-based instrumentation company focused on cell and gene therapy applications, to advance research in regulatory T cells (Tregs) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs).  

The collaboration aims to advance Treg and TIL cell therapies for autoimmune and solid tumor diseases. The joint research will focus on developing new methodologies to enhance the efficacy of Tregs and TILs in therapeutic applications. The collaboration also seeks to streamline workflows while improving scalability and reproducibility in cell-therapy manufacturing. 

Source: Xcell Biosciences 

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Formulation Development/Drug Product Manufacturing 

Bend Bioscience Opens Process Development, Mfg Suites for Solid Dosage Forms 
Bend Bioscience, a Bend, Oregon-based CDMO, has opened four new process development and manufacturing suites within its 30,000-square-foot site in Bend, Oregon.  

The suites will support spray drying and unit operations, including granulation, encapsulation, compression and coating for oral dosage forms, and includes a dedicated low-humidity suite for inhalation powder encapsulation and moisture-sensitive powder handling. 

The opening of the four suites marks the completion of Bend Bioscience’s 14,000-square-foot process science and manufacturing facility, making a total of seven manufacturing suites at the site for early-phase product development and manufacturing of enhanced dosage form products. These new suites accommodate additional cGMP processing equipment, including a second pilot-scale spray dryer (300kg/hr gas flow), 100-L agitated vacuum secondary dryer, and a dosage form train, including a 16-station Korsch X3 MFP tablet press and associated granulation, blending, and coating unit operations. 

Source: Bend Bioscience