Dutch CMO hikes production capacity
started construction of two new manufacturing suites at its
facility in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in a move that builds on
the firm's ability to make microbial vaccines.
The virus and mammalian cell production facilities will be completed by the end of this year and expect to be operational by the second quarter of 2006, said SynCo. The development will add to SynCo's existing capabilities in the production of late-phase clinical and commercial products and will allow it to handle the development of materials for early-phase clinical studies. Approximately €10 million have been invested in the new facilities, which will provide 500 square metres of cleanroom space and will be comprised of production areas for both microbial and mammalian cell/ virus manufacture, as well as three dedicated purification suites. The unit will also have a dedicated buffer preparation area, clean-in-place/sterilise-in-place (CIP/SIP) facilities and purified water production, as well as hydrogen peroxide decontamination facilities. SynCo said it can now offer services from the earliest stage in process development, through clinical trials to market supply. Its activities include analytical and process development for new products, manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) for licensed products and clinical trials, and sterile filling and lyophilisation. The company's CEO, Pierre Warffemius, said: "These new facilities are an integral part of SynCo's strategic vision for growth." "Furthermore, this enhancement of our facility builds on our recent successes in the development and manufacture of new microbial vaccines, such as our collaboration with the Meningitis Vaccine Project (MVP) in the production of a new meningococcal A conjugate vaccine for sub-Saharan Africa," he added. Earlier this year, SynCo implemented an upgrade of existing facilities in Amsterdam aimed at boosting throughoput at the plant. Specifically, the improvements focused on lyophilisation, vial filling and capping to double throughput in response to growing customer demand to 3600 units per hour. It also announced a collaboration with fellow biologics CMO Cobra Biomanufacturing of the UK to manufacture plasmid DNA for Phase III trials and commercial supply. External links to companies or organisations mentioned in thisstory: SynCo Bio Partners
