Maravai LifeSciences highlighted expansions at customers Pfizer and BioNTech as indicators that demand for mRNA capping solutions will continue to grow. Maravai attained its messenger RNA (mRNA) capping solution, called CleanCap, through the acquisition of contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) TriLink BioTechnologies in 2016. In its first quarter 2021, the firm reported $91 million in CleanCap revenue, an increase of 76% when compared to Q4 2020. Going forward the firm “expect continued strong demand from our existing COVID-19 CleanCap…

BioNTech will boost its mRNA capacity by building a facility in Singapore. Meanwhile a joint venture with Fosun Pharma looks to bring its COVID-19 vaccine to China. BioNTech’s BNT162b2 became the first messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine to receive emergency use approval in December 2020. Since then, 450 million doses of the vaccine have been shipped to 91 countries from the firm’s manufacturing facilities in Germany and its partner Pfizer US and European production network. Now the firm is looking…

Contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) Catalent has acquired Promethera’s cell therapy manufacturing subsidiary, Hepatic Cell Therapy Support (HCTS). No financial details have been disclosed. Catalent gains a 32,400 square-foot plant located on in Gosselies, Belgium. The facility will be used for commercial-scale plasmid DNA (pDNA) production and is next to the Delphi Genetics building, which the firm acquired in February expanding its pDNA offering. “With this investment, Catalent will now be able to offer cell therapy and gene therapy customers…

Lonza has invested $935 million to expand its mammalian manufacturing facilities in Visp, Switzerland and Portsmouth, US.   Swiss contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) Lonza will construct a large-scale stainless-steel plant in Visp and a small-scale, single-use technology facility in Portsmouth to respond to customer demand for mammalian drug substance production.   “At Lonza, we are focused on supporting our customers to achieve efficient, high-throughput production processes and flexible manufacturing solutions,” said Jean-Christophe Hyvert, president, Biologics and Cell & Gene, Lonza.   He added: “Our customers’ needs range from the manufacture of small- to mid-volume…

Biologics now represent over half of Catalent’s revenues with the firm citing drug product manufacture as a major driver. For a number of years, contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) Catalent has been tipping the balance of its business away from its small molecule and delivery technology heritage, and towards its biologics business. The biologics business pulled in around 32% of Catalent’s business mix in 2019, but in under two years the division pulled in over half of the CDMO’s net revenues…