Patheon NV has announced it will spend $45m to expand and enhance its manufacturing network citing customer demand for more reliable, flexible and cost-efficient supply chains.
Lonza will install four 2,000L single-use bioreactors at its Singapore facility to cater for growing demand for small to mid-volume biologics production.
Pfizer is building a $200m (€179m) R&D centre in Chesterfield, Missouri at which it will consolidate biotherapeutics process development operations in the region.
Vineti has developed a cloud-based software platform for creating and delivering cell and gene cell therapies, which the company says is better suited to high production loads than paper-driven processes.
Lonza expects to complete its $5.5bn (€5.2bn) takeover of Capsugel SA in the next few days having secured approval from competition authorities around the world.
ChromaTan will incorporate Purolite’s Protein A beads into its continuous platform in a move the firms say will up productivity by 15 times over conventional batch chromatography.
Concerns about Pfizer’s fill/finish plant in McPherson, Kansas have prompted the US FDA to reject the firm’s biosimilar version of Amgen’s anaemia drug Epogen.
The EMA has recommended the approval of Samsung Bioepis’ adalimumab biosimilar, placing the firm on the brink of having three anti-TNF inhibitors in Europe.
Takeda says it is assessing manufacturing options ahead of potential European approval later this year of the Crohn’s disease stem cell therapy licensed from TiGenix.
Dutch scientists have developed a microgel chip that is capable of holding single cells for analysis and research for far longer than currently available 3D culturing technologies.
ImmunoCellular Therapeutics Ltd has halted a Phase III trial of its brain cancer cell therapy ICT-107 due to a lack of funds and is looking for a buyer or partner for the programme.
Merck KGaA’s corporate venture division has created an immune-oncology company based on a mixture of small and large molecule drugs, including Merck and Pfizer’s Bavencio (avelumab).
A tobacco plant-based platform could make monoclonal antibodies up to 90% cheaper than mammalian systems, says Axis Biotec which is building a pilot plant in Brazil.
Seattle Genetics announced it has discontinued its Phase III Cascade trial of Vadastuximab Talirine (SGN-CD33A) for the treatment of frontline acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), due to patient deaths.
Ireland’s “thriving biopharma industry” has traditionally employed large-scale bioreactors, however a new wave of biologics with changing production requirements is changing the trend, say industry representatives.
Cell Medica says it will work with the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult to assess automation and processing technologies involved in scaling-up the acquired cancer candidate.
Aimmune Therapeutics has opened its commercial manufacturing facility in Florida, US, where it will manufacture its investigational peanut allergy treatment.
Inovio Pharmaceuticals has started Phase III trials of its DNA-based human papillomavirus therapy VGX-3100 after the US FDA lifted a clinical hold imposed list year.
Irvine Scientific has announced plans for an R&D centre at its site in Irvine, California citing increasing biopharma industry demand for cell culture and media regents.
Merck & Co has halted two Phase III studies examining its drug Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in combination with other therapies after reports of patient deaths.
The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) has teamed up with GE Healthcare and opened a single-use focused training facility in Dublin, Ireland.
Forty mice were launched into space last week aboard the SpaceX Dragon, which will deliver the genetically engineered research models to the International Space Station for study in microgravity.
Germany’s Merck expands its partnership with F-star and EpimAb Biotherapeutics contracts WuXi Biologics. Welcome to our round-up of bispecific antibody news.
CEO scouts top E&W Coast scientific talent to secure Merck & Co.'s future
CEO Ken Frazier has told investors investments and partnerships, such as collaboration with messenger RNA firm Moderna Therapeutics, have bolstered Merck & Co.’s vaccine division.
Hitachi Group subsidiary PCT Cell Therapy Services will provide clinical manufacturing services for Orchard’s autologous gene therapy for the treatment of adenosine deaminase deficiency.
Horizon Discovery will add vector and transposase technology to its gene editing services through a cross-licensing partnership with gene and protein expression services firm ATUM.
