CMC Biologics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Japan’s Asahi Glass Company (AGC), will raise capacity at its site in Copenhagen, Denmark, to meet increasing demand for antibody drug development and production.

The contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) will add five single-use 2,000 liter bioreactors, giving it the flexibility to operate from a scale of 2,000 liters up to 12,000 liters in a single production suite. CMC Biologics explained that the new Bioreactor 6Pack can be run in single unit operations or in groups, simultaneously, sequentially or in staggered fashion to achieve the desired production needs. The extra capacity is expected to be available in the third quarter of 2018.

“The biopharmaceutical market is growing at above 8% per year, with a strong demand for antibody drugs. Along with CMC Biologics, the AGC Group will expand business globally together with AGC in Japan (Chiba and Yokohama) and Biomeva, a CDMO with microbial capabilities in Germany, which AGC acquired in August 2017,” said Hideyuki Kurata, general manager of Life Science  General division, AGC Chemicals.

AGC acquired CMC Biologics, which also has a manufacturing site in Seattle, Washington, USA, in February for an undisclosed sum. AGC said it has positioned Life Sciences as one of its strategic businesses and would respond to future growing demand by executing necessary investment “in a timely manner”.