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Fujifilm expands biopharma facilities in US & UK with $ 130 mn investment

The company's new process development facilities to support growing market of biopharmaceuticals

Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies facility
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Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies facility
BS B2B Bureau Tokyo, Japan
Last Updated : Apr 24 2017 | 1:12 PM IST
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Fujifilm Corporation will invest about Yen 14 billion ($ 130 million) for increasing the production capacity in the US and UK to expand the business of its BioCDMO division, which focuses on contract development & manufacturing for biologics.

In the US, at Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies (FDB), has already invested JPY 10 billion ($ 93 million) - a part of which was funded by BARDA (Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority), an office of the US Department of Health and Human Services - for setting up a production facility in Texas (USA). 

In addition to this, Fujifilm now plans to invest Yen 3 billion ($ 28 million) to build mammalian cell culture bioreactors in the facility. This facility will start operation at the beginning of 2018. 

In UK, Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies will invest JPY 1 billion ($ 9 million) investment to expand the process development capabilities at its Billingham (UK) site. This facility is scheduled to be operational in summer of 2017.

The FDB’s Texas facility will be the manufacturing center of excellence for the company's Saturn Monoclonal Antibody Platform with an initial cell culture capacity of 6,000L (3X 2000L bioreactors). The design of the facility allows for future expansion that can accommodate up to 24,000L of upstream capacity to meet much needed customers' clinical and commercial demands. 

In the UK, the investments include the establishment of a dedicated mammalian cell culture center of excellence. These laboratories span over 10,000 sq ft and are designed to incorporate the latest high-throughput technologies, including fully automated bioreactors and chromatography systems, to enable for rapid and efficient monoclonal antibody manufacturing process readiness. 

“Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies is committed to its vision of being leaders in the bio CDMO space,” said Steve Bagshaw, chief executive officer, Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies.

Biopharmaceutical production requires the use of advanced manufacturing technologies and facilities for culturing, separation and purification. The number of companies outsourcing process development and manufacturing activities of biopharmaceuticals to CDMOs is increasing. The contract development and manufacturing market is projected to achieve growth of 8 percent per annum accordingly.

Fujifilm will continue to grow and expand its existing capabilities in addition to engaging in external collaborations to increase capacity, and it will further develop high efficiency and high productivity technology by combining group technologies, to continue to grow further the business. It is targeting sales of Yen 100 billion in its BioCDMO business by 2023.

Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, a joint venture between Fujifilm Corporation and Mitsubishi Corporation, is one of the leading biologics contract development and manufacturing organisations (CDMOs) with locations in Billingham (UK), RTP (North Carolina) and College Station (Texas). 

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First Published: Apr 24 2017 | 1:08 PM IST

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