BI builds contract biomanufacturing biz with €17m investment

Related tags Biotechnology Contract

BI builds contract biomanufacturing biz with €17m investment
Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) has expended its biomanufacturing offering in response to demand for early-phase development customers.

The privately-owned drugmaker has invested €17m to add cell line development and manufacturing capabilities at its laboratories in Biberach, Germany and in Vienna – where its proprietary Bi-HEX expression system is available to customers on a contractual basis.

BI claims the additional capacity and capabilities – coupled with its recently launched ‘lean to clinic’ programme – means it will be able to complete customers’ antibody development projects in as little as 13 months.

Dorothee Ambrosius, VP Biopharmaceuticals Global Process Science at Boehringer Ingelheim, said: "The expansion has been taylor-suited to fully meet our customer demands in cell culture and microbial process science, especially for our rapidly expanding pre-clinical project portfolio with biotech companies​.”

BI’s contract monoclonal antibody has performed well of late. Just last month California, US-based biotech Xencor​ contracted the German firm to produce supplies of several of its candidate ‘biobetter’ MAbs that are due to move into clinical development.

The agreement – which also grants BI ‘certain manufacturing rights’ if development progresses – combines Xencor’s development expertise with BI’s production capabilities.

At the time Simon Sturge – senior VP of corporate development at BI – said: “[The deal] reflects one of our new business models in the contract manufacturing space in which both parties are enabled to focus on their core competencies​.” 

BI’s contracting business on the other side of the Atlantic has fared less well in recent months -  most notably as a result of quality problems​ at its Ben Venue manufacturing unit​ which have resulted in widespread drug shortages.

Related topics Contract Manufacturing & Logistics

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