Orgenesis and Johns Hopkins University will build a cell and gene therapy processing facility in Maryland, US for point of care treatment. The 7,000 square-foot POCare Center, also known as the Maryland Center for Cell Therapy Manufacturing, has been partly funded by a $5 million grant from the State of Maryland with building expected to start in Q2 2022 and the facility anticipated to be operational by Q2 2023. “Orgenesis is a pioneer of decentralized processing and production of CGTs,…
Samsung Biologics says COVID-19 related demand drove growth in 2021 and predicts mRNA business will be key this year. The Korean contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) saw revenue of KRW444.3 billion ($328 million) in the fourth quarter of 2021, up 18% on the comparable period in 2020.  Profits increase 39% to KRW128.8 billion. For the full year revenue and operating profit grew 35% and 84%, respectively. Samsung also said its fourth quarter operating margin jumped 29% due to increased utilization across all…
Vetter has received manufacturing authorization for a fill and finish site Austria, which the CDMO acquired in 2020. Contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Vetter bought the clinical production site in Rankweil, on the Austrian border with Switzerland and Liechenstein, from Impletio – part of Rentschler, with which Vetter inked an alliance in July 2020. The firm has been working to modify and equip all laboratory, technical and production areas at the 10,000 square-meter facility and has announced this week…
Novo Nordisk Foundation will invest up to $343 million over a ten-year period to establish an international research center focused on stem cell medicine. The center is a partnership entitled reNEW between the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Australia, and Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands. The aim of the collaboration is to drive future stem cell-based treatments. The governing hub will be based at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Melissa…
The Center for Breakthrough Medicines receives $350 million, Forge Biologics closes $80 million in additional funding, Piramal invests in Yapan, and GHO Capital invests in RoslinCT. Welcome to our CGT CDMO round-up. Eagle-eyed readers will remember South Korean investment firm SK Inc pledged to invest in Pennsylvania-based company the Center for Breakthrough Medicines (CBM) back in November. Now the cell and gene contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) has revealed SK’s involvement includes $350 million in equity financing aimed at…
Biopharma companies around the world have reported concerns regarding talent shortages across the industry, but Invest Lithuania says it has a large talent pool ready and waiting. There is a general consensus among professionals that the amount of talent coming through is not reflective of the huge investment in capacity being seen across the Life Sciences industry. Companies such as Lonza, SwedenBIO, and pharma recruitment firm Lead Candidate have expressed their talent shortage concerns at different points last year. However,…
Christmas came early for Pfizer and Expression Therapeutics, which cut the ribbons on viral vector manufacturing plants in North Carolina and Ohio, respectively. Pfizer’s gene therapy division celebrated the new year with an expanded manufacturing footprint, having opened the first of three facilities at its site in Durham, North Carolina on December 15. The 85,500 square-foot plant will support clinical manufacturing of Pfizer’s gene therapy pipeline and represents an investment of $68.5 million by the firm. The facility will create…
Ian Lichfield, CEO of WHP Engineering figuratively sat down with BioProcess Insider to discuss the key things to consider when planning a facility and how the business will adapt to suspected future changes. WHP Engineering is located in Newcastle, UK and describes itself on LinkedIn as a “multi-disciplined, engineering company dedicated to providing both standalone and turnkey solutions for highly-regulated, controlled environments and complex manufacturing processes across Europe.†The firm works with a wide range of customers in the life…
Moderna will build an mRNA vaccine manufacturing plant in Victoria, Australia, which could produce up to 100 million doses each year, says firm. Moderna, which sprang to success on the back of its COVID-19 vaccine, laid out plans to construct a $500 million African messenger RNA (mRNA) facility in October. Now, the firm has announced an agreement with the Australian Government to build an mRNA vaccine plant in Victoria, including access to Moderna’s mRNA development technology. While the deal has…
Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies (FDB) will increase its advanced therapy and vaccine production capacity by constructing a $300 million facility in Texas. Contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) FDB will expand its single-use manufacturing campus in College Station, Texas by adding a production facility that will double the firm’s advanced therapy and vaccine manufacturing capacity in the US. “As the need for advanced therapies development and manufacturing capacity grows, we will continue to invest in the right technology and talent to support…