BioNTech aims to develop the first vaccine for malaria using the same mRNA technology behind its COVID-19 success. BioNTech’s BNT162b2 became the first messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine to receive emergency use approval in December 2020. Now the German firm has launched its Malaria project, which aims to produce a successful malaria vaccine and create sustainable production and supply in Africa. According to the firm, it will evaluate various vaccine candidates that feature known malaria trargets such as the circumsporozoite protein…

Catalent says its GPEx Lightning platform can save up to twelve weeks on customer program timelines by combining multiple technologies into a single process. Contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) Catalent has created GPEx Lightning, which it says combines gene insertion activities to minimize drug substance development time by up to three months. The tech is based on its long-standing GPEx tech platform. “By adapting the cell line and incorporating some enhancements into the process, we were able to increase the…

Catalent will add biologics drug substance production capabilities to its Italian plant, which it says will support demand from the European market. The $100 million investment will see contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) Catalent install two 2,000 L single-use bioreactors in newly constructed manufacturing suites at its Anagni, Italy facility it acquired from Bristol Myers Squibb in June 2019. Additionally, the firm will build infrastructure required to house a further six 2,000 L single-use bioreactors and the first phase of…

Regeneron will invest $1.8 billion over six years to expand its manufacturing, support, and research facilities in New York. According to a press release from the New York Governor’s office, Regeneron plans to expand its R&D facilities at the firm’s Westchester Country Campus in Tarrytown. The investment encompasses Regeneron’s plans that were announced in April to inject $480 million to construct a preclinical facility at its Tarrytown campus. “This new investment in our workforce and laboratory spaces will allow for…

Recipharm will build a fill-finish facility in Uttarakhand, India increasing its fill-finish capacity to one billion sterile units per year. Contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) Recipharm will construct the new facility on a greenfield site located near Dehradun in Uttarakhand as part of a joint project with Sobti. The Uttarakhand facility is the latest development in Recipharm’s partnership with Sobti, which began in November 2019 when the CDMO invested in Nichepharm. “This is part of our strategy to increase our…