GE and M+W team on plant and tech biologics production solution
The idea is to combine GE’s production and processing technologies with M+W’s bio-engineering and construction background to offer Governments and drugmakers a 'turn-key' approach for the construction of biopharmaceutical manufacturing plants.
Olivier Loeillot, general manager of enterprise solutions, GE Healthcare Life Sciences, said: “By working together to bring an integrated offering – from financing and construction of the plant, right through to training of the operational staff - we can make it much easier for governments to set up their own facilities.”
Tobias Lucke , managing Director of M+W Process Industries, was equally upbeat, suggesting that: “Combining the experience and know-how of our respective companies will bring a new turnkey approach to the much needed local manufacture of potentially life-saving medicines and vaccines.”
GE and M+W both suggested that 'emerging nations' that lack biomanufacturing capacity will be the primary focus for the accord, although neither specified how they will work with governments and pharmaceutical manufacturers to boost capacity.
However, for GE at least, the focus on biologics manufacturing technology development is nothing new.
Biomanufacturing
In September GE set biomanufacturing technologies at the heart of its $1bn (€731m) R&D strategy, explaining that global demand for bioreactors, purification platforms and characterisation systems is increasing.
At the time Nigel Darby, VP of Biotechnologies at GE Healthcare Life Sciences told in-Pharmatechnologist.com that: “Life sciences and new technologies for the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals such as the new cancer therapeutics is a key focus for GE Healthcare.
“Our vision is to help manufacturers of biopharmaceuticals... to bring their products to market quicker to increase the productivity of their manufacturing process and to lower the barriers to entry.
“This is particularly important for the newer entrants who may not have the capacity or expertise to optimise their manufacturing process.
