Supplier News: WuXi STA, MilliporeSigma, Codexis, & More

The latest from CDMOs, CMOs, and suppliers featuring WuXi STA, MilliporeSigma, Codexis, Fujifilm Irving, Altasciences, and Sharp. Highlights below.

Chemicals/Chemical API Manufacturing
* WuXi STA Opens Continuous Mfg Plant
* Codexis Names New CEO
Biologics Manufacturing
* MilliporeSigma Breaks Ground on Membrane Mfg Facility
* Fujifilm Irving Scientific Opens R&D Cell-Culture Center of Excellence
Formulation Development/Drug Product Manufacturing
* Altasciences Expanding Development, Mfg Facility
Packaging
* Sharp Partners To Expand Clinical Supply Services in China


Chemicals/Chemical API Manufacturing

WuXi STA Opens Continuous Mfg Plant
WuXi STA, a subsidiary of WuXi AppTec, has opened a new continuous manufacturing (flow chemistry) plant at its Changzhou campus in China for large-scale active pharmaceutical ingredient and advanced intermediate production.  

The new plant features 11 continuous production lines to support 20 types of reactions. With the opening of the new plant, WuXi STA now has multiple flow chemistry R&D labs and 25 continuous manufacturing lines in Shanghai Waigaoqiao, Shanghai Jinshan, and Changzhou sites in China.  

Source: WuXi STA


Codexis Names New CEO
Codexis, a Redwood City, California-based provider of biocatalysts and enzyme engineering technology, has appointed Dr. Stephen Dilly, former CEO of Sierra Oncology and current Codexis Board member, as the company’s President and CEO, effective August 9, 2022. John Nicols, Codexis’ current President and CEO, will retire for family reasons and remain on Codexis’ Board through the company’s annual meeting in June 2023 and will assume a new multi-year role as Strategic Advisor to provide ongoing support to the company.

Dr. Dilly has more than three decades of executive management experience in the bio/pharmaceutical industry. Most recently, he served as President and CEO of Sierra Oncology through its recent sale to GlaxoSmithKline for $1.9 billion. Previously, he was CEO of Aimmune Therapeutics, which was acquired by Nestlé Health Science in 2020 for $2.6 billion, and also served in executive roles at Genentech, Chiron, and SmithKline Beecham.

Source: Codexis


Biologics Manufacturing

MilliporeSigma Breaks Ground on Membrane Mfg Facility
MilliporeSigma, the life-science business of Merck KGaA, broke ground at its site in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, for a new lateral flow membrane production facility. Lateral flow membranes are a component in rapid diagnostic test kits for a variety of applications, including Covid-19 testing.

The new facility is supported by a $136.7-million contract award from the US Department of Defense, on behalf of the US Department of Health and Human Services. Once built, the lateral flow membrane facility will be MilliporeSigma’s first facility in the US capable of producing diagnostic-grade membrane.

Source: MilliporeSigma


Fujifilm Irving Scientific Opens R&D Cell-Culture Center of Excellence
Fujifilm Irvine Scientific, a provider of cell-culture media and reagents, has opened a new cell-culture center of excellence at its headquarters in Santa Ana, California. The facility more than doubles the R&D facility’s footprint and will support the company’s programs in manufacturing sciences and technologies, single-use technology development, and automation platforms for media development and provide workspace for research into analytical chemistry, virology, assisted reproductive technologies, and additional cell-culture and molecular-based assay development. The company projects it will double its R&D headcount by the end of 2022.

Source: Fujifilm Irving Scientific


Formulation Development/Drug Product Manufacturing

Altasciences Expanding Development, Mfg Facility
Altasciences, a CRO and CDMO of drug products, is expanding its formulation development, manufacturing, and analytical services facilities in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to build a new 53,000-square-foot client-dedicated building for Alladapt Immunotherapeutics, a clinical-stage bio/pharmaceutical company, to meet Alladapt’s Phase III and commercial requirements. Altasciences previously developed formulation and manufacturing processes to meet Alladapt’s Phase I and II needs. Altasciences will manage all aspects of this project, including warehousing, release management, manufacturing, quality assurance, and finished-product release. The new building will have additional client-dedicated capacity that can be used for Phase I through to commercial manufacturing services. The building is scheduled for completion in 2023.

Source: Altasciences


Packaging

Sharp Partners To Expand Clinical Supply Services in China
Sharp has formed a partnership with ClinsChain, a Shanghai, China-based company specializing in clinical supply services for local and global clinical trials, to expand Sharp’s reach and capabilities into the Chinese market.

Source: Sharp