APAC region: Cytiva and Wego in capacity expansion move to support single-use technology trend
The two companies are expanding an existing facility jointly launched in 2018.
They say newly added manufacturing lines will triple the supply capacity of single-use consumables in the Asia-Pacific region.
The adoption of single-use technology is expected to increase rapidly in clinical production and in manufacturing, according to the BioPlan Annual Biomanufacturing report, which noted that more than 85% of current pre-commercial and clinical manufacturing lines/facilities are single-use.
The planned expansion will consist of an additional eight new manufacturing lines, two of which are expected to launch by the end of 2021; with the other six lines scheduled in Q3 2022. It adds 1300 square meters to the manufacturing area of the ISO Class 7 cleanroom and also includes a 1200 square meters warehouse to further save lead time and increase flexibility for customers.
Li Hua, general manager of Cytiva China, told us that “the increased capacity will help the region improve manufacturing resilience with shorter lead times, while maintaining the delivery of high-quality product to our customers within the broader region.”
In addition, Cytiva said it is adding new products, 100L to 1,000L Xcellerex mixer bags, to the expanded facility’s manufacturing portfolio. They will incorporate Fortem technology – the company’s single-use characterized film. “Its local manufacture enhances our ability to provide business continuity for our customers.”
These efforts are part of the US$1.5bn investment announced by Cytiva and Pall Corporation in July this year.
Collaboration deemed critical to R&D efforts
“With the increase in global demand, customers require more flexibility and adaptability, resulting in the growing trend of domestic manufacturing, and Cytiva’s ‘In-region, for-region’ strategy meets these needs,” said Francis Van Parys, vice president, Cytiva Asia Pacific.
He also told BioPharma-Reporter about how the company is addressing the diverse needs in the region as well as supporting the exponential growth in research and development in Asian-Pacific markets.
“According to the Global Biopharma Resilience Index, which Cytiva conducted in partnership with Financial Times company, Longitude, collaboration is the key driver of research and development in biopharma industry.
“One of the large-scale collaborations Cytiva supports in Asia-Pacific is the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City (CSGKC). CSGKC is an exemplary joint effort that brings together the governments of China and Singapore alongside thousands of commercial organizations within a single hub. Cytiva is fortunate to be involved in CSGKC’s development through its work with companies such as BeiGene, Lonza and Akesobio, in which we assisted in rapidly establishing manufacturing capabilities for these companies with our KUBio prefabricated biopharma facilities.
“Additionally, Cytiva has Fast Trak centers and training centers in China, Korea, Japan, India and Singapore to support our customers in accelerating their research and development processes and enhancing capabilities and skills of local talent through our training and technical consultancy.”
