Author Archives: Millie Nelson

Japan halts Moderna vaccine doses due to CDMO contamination fears

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Japan has put 1.6 million doses of the Moderna vaccine on hold after “foreign materials†were discovered in approximately 565,000 vials. The contamination stemmed from batches of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine produced by contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) Rovi – also known as Laboratorios Farmacéuticos Rovi. The firms conducted an investigation after particulate matter was identified in vials of the vaccine distributed in Japan last week. “According to the root cause analysis report, conducted by Rovi, the most probable cause of…

September 1, 2021

Biopharma playing second fiddle to chips and electronics in Samsung’s latest spending spree

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Samsung has pledged a staggering $205 billion across its businesses through 2023, but how much of this will actually go to its biopharma businesses? This week, Samsung announced plans to invest 240 trillion won ($205 billion) across its businesses over the next three years with approximately $154 billion of this being injected in its home country of South Korea. The plans drawn up include an astounding 40,000 new hires. But while Samsung’s many business interests include life sciences and healthcare…

August 27, 2021

Terumo and PhotonPharma partner to develop cancer vaccine

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Terumo and PhotonPharma have teamed up to develop Innocell, a therapeutic vaccine for solid tumors. Apheresis services firm Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies and cancer immunotherapy developer PhotonPharma have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop Innocell. Innocell is a tumor specific immunotherapy aiming to treat solid tumors. “The therapeutic vaccine is made using autologous tumor tissue taken from the patient as either a biopsy or a surgical resection of the tumor,†Ray Goodrich Co-Founder of PhotonPharma told BioProcess…

August 27, 2021

Sartorius and McMaster University to ‘perfect’ antibody manufacturing process

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McMaster University and Sartorius have teamed up to improve the efficiency of chromatography in the large-scale manufacture of antibody and virus-based treatments. The collaboration sees Sartorius Stedim Biotech and McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada partner to advance manufacturing processes used for antibody and virus-based treatments such as COVID-19, genetic disorders, and cancer. “Through collaboration and partnerships with universities, Sartorius drives innovation for technological breakthroughs that lead to better health for more people,†a spokesman for Sartorius said. “The current state of art in downstream…

August 25, 2021

Pfizer to acquire Trillium in $2.3bn deal

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Pfizer bolsters its oncology capabilities through the acquisition of Trillium, which it says will add investigational immuno-therapeutics for cancer. Pfizer, which invested $25 million in Trillium Therapeutics in September 2020, will acquire all outstanding shares of the immune-oncology firm in a deal worth $2.26 billion. “Pfizer is strengthening its individual therapeutic areas with capabilities and breakthrough medicines to enhance leadership positions in priority areas,†a spokesperson for Pfizer told BioProcess Insider. “The acquisition of Trillium Therapeutics strengthens Pfizer’s leadership in…

August 25, 2021

Lonza bulks up China offering with drug product plant

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Lonza says the investment will establish drug product manufacturing capabilities at its facility in Guangzhou, China. Swiss contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) will install an aseptic fill-finish manufacturing line at its 17,000 square-foot mammalian facility, which began operations in Q2 2021. “With this drug product manufacturing line completed, Lonza represents a complete solution provider to the China market with a special focus on pre-clinical and clinical projects,†said Jeff Li, VP of Commercial Development, Lonza. “This drug product line and…

August 24, 2021

Zymeworks on how to keep immune system at bay when developing bispecifics

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BioProcess Insider sat down figuratively with Zymeworks’ chief scientific officer Tony Polverino to talk all things antibody and their solution to challenges that surround bispecific antibody-based cancer therapies.   BioProcess Insider (BI): What are the challenges that surround bispecific antibody-based cancer therapies?  Tony Polverino (TP): I think that the challenges fall into a number of different areas, one being manufacturing, as the ability to bring two different molecules together, or two different binding arms together into the same molecule presents a challenge from an expression and a manufacturing perspective. BI: How have you overcome these issues? …

August 23, 2021

Biotage triples lipid capacity to support mRNA vaccines

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Demand for lipid nanoparticles for mRNA vaccines has driven Biotage to open a facility at its site in Cardiff, UK.   The facility, of which financial details have not been disclosed, sees Swedish separations firm Biotage expand its manufacturing capacity of large-scale flash columns by 300 percent, specifically to support companies and contract manufacturers scaling-up lipid production for COVID-19 vaccines.   “[Cardiff] is our largest site with capacity and competence for complicated and advanced column filling operations and [it is] geographically close to major customers,†Tomas Blomquist CEO of Biotage told BioProcess Insider. According to the firm, the shortage of raw materials for messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine manufacturing…

August 19, 2021

Polyplus reagent aims to ease CGT manufacturing issues

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Polyplus has added a reagent to its existing product line developed specifically to enable large-scale viral vector manufacturing. The French-biotech said the reagent has been developed to complement its existing FectoVir-AAV reagent line. “FectoVIR-AAV is a transfection reagent, hence a key component of upstream manufacturing of viral vectors used for gene therapy,†a spokesperson for Polyplus told BioProcess Insider. “FectoVIR-AAV transports plasmid DNA across the cell membrane. In gene therapy viral vector manufacturing, three plasmids are transfected at the same time…

August 18, 2021

Moderna inks deal to build mRNA facility in Canada

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Moderna has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Canadian government to construct an mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will see Moderna build a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine plant, which aims to provide Canada with support to respond rapidly to current and future pandemics. While it is not yet confirmed where the plant will be located in Canada, the firm is looking to replicate this business model in other countries. “As a company, we are committed…

August 13, 2021