Lonza Biologics Singapore Pte. Ltd
Signing of the Joint Venture
Lonza Biologics Singapore Pte. Ltd.
Ground Breaking Ceremony
In a joint venture, Lonza Group, a Swiss chemical and biotechnology company, and Singapore’s Bio*One Capital, biomedical sciences investment management company, are developing mammalian cell culture plant in Singapore. The large-scale plant will manufacture and supply commercial custom biopharmaceuticals to the growing Asian markets. The project that began in February 2006 is scheduled for completion by the end of 2009 and the investment will amount to US$ 250 million.
The second of Lonza’s large-scale mammalian manufacturing facilities, the plant will be located in Tuas Biomedical Park in Singapore and will include up to 4 mammalian bioreactor trains with individual purification units. The bioreactor trains will have a capacity that ranges from 1,000 up to 20,000 litres.
The plan for plant construction, which began on 15th February 2006, is divided into two phases. The construction of the outer shell will be completed as a part of the first phase and the finishing of the plant is to take place in early 2009. The facility will include four 20,000-litre bioreactor trains, each of which will be about two storeys high. The high-tech, fully equipped plant is expected to become operational by the end of 2009.
The project will further strengthen Lonza’s position as a global custom manufacturer of biopharmaceuticals and cater to the fast growing Asian market. The services and operations of the new mammalian cell culture manufacturing facility will include an array of manufactured products and processes. It will ensure security of supply especially in areas like animal cells that are grown outside the living organism and are genetically modified to produce a certain kind of protein or antibody.
The joint venture is also expected to strengthen Bio*One Capital’s focus on biopharmaceuticals and leverage Singapore’s strengths in process development and clinical manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals.
Lonza and Bio*One expect that the fully equipped mammalian cell culture plant will be commissioned by companies all over the world for drugs derived by culturing living cells. The plant will also make biologics - highly sophisticated drugs derived from living cells and used to treat arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
The potential for biologics is tremendous in the world – they make up only 10 per cent of drugs sold, but the biologics market is expected to grow 15 per cent annually for the next five years. The plant will enable Singapore to further establish itself as a premier pharmaceutical destination with this commercial scale biologics facility.
The Lonza-Bio*One mammalian cell manufacturing unit will employ around 300 people and ensure supply security in the industry. The unit will strengthen Lonza and Bio*One as leading global custom manufacturers of biopharmaceuticals.
