The CDMO said the project will serve the industry’s robust biologics pipeline across various modalities with new bioreactors and syringe filling lines as well as additional lyophilization capacity, supported by quality control laboratories and complex automated packaging.

In particular, the expansion will include the installation of new 2,000-liter single-use bioreactors and additional downstream processing capabilities for drug substance that the company said will have the versatility to meet customers’ needs with batches of up to 4,000 liters using single-use technology or 5,000-liters using existing stainless-steel bioreactors.

New quality control laboratories and complex packaging space with additional high-speed, automated cartoning and auto-injector device assembly capabilities are also planned and expected to be fully operational later this year, the company said.  Plans for expanding drug product fill & finish capacity including new syringe filling lines under barrier isolator technology and additional lyophilized vial capacity have also been drawn up.

When completed in 2024, Catalent said the site’s broad range of fill & finish offerings will provide “great flexibility” in dose form presentations and batch sizes, supplying customers with “everything from early- and late-stage development programs to high-volume commercial supply across various modalities.”

Mike Riley, president of Biotherapeutics, said Catalent continues to see strong growth in demand for biologics development and manufacturing with a deep pipeline across multiple indications. The CDMO’s biologics arm has recently made improvements to its global network, including the modernization of its fill& finish and packaging facility in Limoges, France. It also has acquired a new UK biologics development and manufacturing facility near Oxford.

Author: Dede Williams, Freelance Journalist