Author Archives: Millie Nelson

Vaccine partnership results in optimized mRNA process, says BioNet

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BioNet’s product development of genetic vaccine know-how integrated with BIA’s chromatographic columns for mRNA purification has produced a high-yield mRNA process, says firm. BioNet is a French-Thai biotech firm that focuses on manufacturing genetically engineered vaccines and BIA Separations is a biochromatography development and manufacturing company, which Sartorius acquired in October 2020 for $423 million. The collaboration, which was formed in early 2021, has resulted in what the firms are calling a successful development of an optimized messenger RNA (mRNA)…

November 4, 2021

Lonza bags Codiak’s exosome plant in $65m deal

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Lonza has acquired an exosome manufacturing facility in Lexington, Massachusetts from Codiak BioSciences, which will keep its pipeline of therapeutic candidates. “Exosomes are extracellular vesicles excreted by cells into the surrounding fluids with a diameter between 30 and 150 nanometers,†Senthil Ramaswamy, executive director of Cell and Gene Technologies R&D, Lonza told us. “They represent a form of cell-to-cell communication. Cells can exchange metabolites, genetic information, and proteins through exosomes. The membrane-bound structure of exosomes allows for loading with various…

November 3, 2021

Swedish CGT sector is growing but talent shortage must be addressed, says SwedenBIO

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BioProcess Insider spoke with SwedenBIO CEO Helena StrigÃ¥rd about the cell and gene therapy industry in Sweden and its future.   StrigÃ¥rd has been at the private non-profit organization firm SwedenBIO for four years and discusses its focus on driving the cell and gene therapy (CGT) sector in Sweden, the challenges it faces, and her predictions for the future. BioProcess Insider (BI): Is there a trend you are seeing in the CGT space in Sweden? Helena StrigÃ¥rd (HS): We see a…

November 3, 2021

ElevateBio adds genome engineering tech with Life Edit buy

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Life Edit’s genome editing capabilities will be combined with ElevateBio’s cell and gene enabling technologies to expand the number of therapeutic uses. The deal, of which financial details have not been disclosed, sees cell and gene therapy (CGT) tech firm ElevateBio acquire all of AgBiome’s shares of Life Edit Therapeutics (Life Edit). According to ElevateBio, the acquisition will allow the firm to integrate Life Edit’s genome editing abilities with its induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), viral vector, and cellular engineering platforms.…

November 1, 2021

Ecolab to acquire Purolite in $3.7bn deal

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Ecolab adds service solutions to drive end-product safety and quality through the acquisition of Purolite, which it says doubles its existing high growth. Ecolab, a firm that specializes in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services has entered into an agreement to buy Purolite, a separation tech company in a cash transaction valued at $3.7 billion. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2021 and according to Ecolab, Purolite will operate as a separate global business unit but…

November 1, 2021

Autolomous and Vineti partner to deliver end-to-end solutions in CGT space

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Autolomous will combine its manufacturing management systems with Vineti’s Personalized Therapy Management (PTM) platform to form an end-to-end cell and gene therapy pathway. The partnership between Autolomous and Vineti, two technology solution providers for cell and gene therapy (CGT) supply chains, aims to drive the visibility and exchange of information between stakeholders across the CGT value chain to ensure the companies can respond to unpredictable variables that occur with biological processes. According to Autolomous, the integration of the technologies will…

October 28, 2021

Catalent shells out $230m to expand US gene therapy plant

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Catalent will add three additional commercial-scale viral vector manufacturing suites at its gene therapy campus in Harmans, Maryland. The latest investment at contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) Catalent’s Harmans campus includes the construction of three additional multi-room commercial suites, as well as expanding storage capabilities for ultra-low temperature freezers, just-in-time inventory space,  and its water-for-injection infrastructure. “This latest expansion is to meet growing customer demand and is in anticipation of continued interest and growth in AAV and other gene therapies, 

October 28, 2021

BioNTech eyes mid-2022 to build mRNA facility in Africa

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BioNTech has struck a deal with Rwanda and Senegal to begin building a mRNA vaccine production plant in Africa next year. The decision to start building a messenger RNA (mRNA) plant next summer comes after the German biotech signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Rwandan government and Institut Pasteur de Dakar in Senegal this week. The firm had previously expressed the possibility of setting up mRNA manufacturing facilities on its own, or with partners in Africa and according…

October 27, 2021

EnteroBiotix completes Scottish microbial facility

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The mechanically complete facility in Strathclyde, Scotland will establish EnteroBiotix’s pipeline and provide end-to-end control of the supply chain, says firm. EnteroBiotix is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing microbial therapeutics, which aim to treat debilitating diseases and infections associated with the function and structure of the gut microbiome. The mechanical completion of its purpose-built manufacturing donor-derived microbial therapeutic plant at Strathclyde Business Park, Scotland spans over 20,000 square feet and includes expansion of its corporate offices to support an…

October 27, 2021

Two in Toulouse for GTP Bioways

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CDMO GTP Bioways has invested $14 million into two biopharmaceutical production lines at its site in Toulouse, France. The French contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO), which specializes in the production of nanotherapies and biotherapies has said the first line will be dedicated to production using microbial systems such as bacteria and yeast. The first line will have a capacity of 300 L and is expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2023. The second manufacturing unit has been…

October 26, 2021