2 minute read - 27th August 2024
Fujifilm completes major investment at Billingham manufacturing plant
Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, a contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) for biologics, vaccines, advanced therapies, and oncolytic viruses, has opened its new microbial fermentation manufacturing facility in Billingham. This new facility triples existing microbial production throughput with the addition of a new production line equipped with two 4000-litre fermenters, primary separations suite and a modular purification suite, part of an overall investment of over £100m.
To support further expansion, the facility is built with the flexibility to accommodate new projects to meet the emerging needs of Fujifilm’s partners, and to provide supply chain resilience.
This expansion was customised, in part, to support a large pharmaceutical partner with a highly specialised ophthalmic therapeutic for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Wet AMD is an eye disorder that causes blurred vision in the central vision. AMD is the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK, affecting more than 700,000 people, with 39,800 patients developing wet AMD each year.
Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies has completed a major investment at its Billingham manufacturing facility to triple production capacity / Picture: FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies
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Lars Petersen, president and CEO of Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, said: “With the completion of this project, we are fulfilling our commitment with our partner, and supporting the commercialisation of its ophthalmic therapeutic. This is a prime example of our partnership-based business model, a key element in our Partners for Life strategy, to help our customers bring their life-impacting medicines to patients.”
Kenneth Bilenberg, chief operating officer of Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, added: “Securing capacity in strategic locations to support our customers’ needs now and in the future is a key element of our Partners for Life strategy. Today’s celebration underscores our commitment to our BioCampus in Billingham where we are progressing on expansions for our process development and quality labs, as well as an expansion focusing on late stage clinical and commercial cell culture drug substance manufacturing.”
The new production line is equipped with two 4000-litre fermenters, primary separations suite and a modular purification suite, part of an investment of over £100m / Picture: FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies
