Cytovance ups biologics capacity as small pharma demand rises
The firm is adding production capability in mammalian and microbial biologics at its Oklahoma City facilities, in a move that comes less than a year after a previous scale-up and has been led by an increase in demand.
CEO Darren Head told Outsourcing-Pharm.com that “Cytovance has seen a growth surge in contract manufacturing for biologics,” adding that the expansion is planned to meet clients’ future needs.
Head predicted that demand for biologics manufacturing will continue to increase in 2013 and said that 2012’s increase came “mostly from small pharma and from virtual companies who secured funding both for Big Pharma and Venture Capital to move their products through the clinic.”
Late last year, Cytovance inked a contract with Taiwan-based Fountain Biopharma in a proactive expansion within the Asian market, following the successful completion of several Asian manufacturing service agreements.
However, Head said that the upscale was not due to any specific demand by Fountain Biopharma, or any other specific client.
Scale-Up
The CMO (contract manufacturing organization) is installing two new bioreactors and an automated Chase-Logeman fill/finish system which will complement existing manufacturing process trains.
It was about the same time last year that Cytovance announced the additional 1000L bioreactor installed at its plant. Cytovance will – once the bioreactors are operational at the end of 2013 - be able to boast production scales up to 5000L of antibody and recombinant protein products derived from cell culture.
The announcement came days after Cytovance announced the appointment of Maria Lopez as Vice President of Quality. For more information and all appointments in the pharmaceutical service industry, see this weeks ‘People on the Move’ column.
