Lonza Increases Capacity for Antibody-Drug Conjugates at Visp, Switzerland
Swiss contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Lonza is extending a long-term collaboration with an unnamed major global biopharmaceutical partner. Under the agreement, the current dedicated bioconjugation capacity will be increased fourfold by adding two new bioconjugation suites for the commercial supply of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) at Lonza's site in Visp, Switzerland.
With the capacity increase, Lonza said that it will be able to provide its customer with highly potent payload, drug-linker, conjugation services, and commercial monoclonal antibody (mAb) manufacturing from a single site.
The expansion will occupy 1500 m2 of manufacturing space and will connect to key infrastructure supporting the containment of highly potent drug linkers and the handling of bioconjugates in a highly automated, high-throughput environment. Lonza expects the two dedicated manufacturing areas to comprise one of the largest bioconjugation facilities globally. The new suites are expected to be operational in 2026 and will generate approximately 180 jobs upon completion.
Jean-Christophe Hyvert, Lonza’s president Biologics, commented: “The expansion of this strategic collaboration further validates the concept of Ibex Solutions and demonstrates our dedication to supporting our partners with operational excellence, specialist expertise and flexible business models. The complete end-to-end ADC ecosystem at our Visp site eliminates supply chain complexities and supports all stages necessary for the manufacture of these highly potent therapies.”
ADCs are complex bioconjugates that are typically used for selective targeting of cancer cells. Their unique ability to decrease systemic side effects on healthy cells, while maintaining selective efficacy, brings high commercial and therapeutic potential and is transforming the treatment landscape for cancer patients. ADCs consist of a potent cytotoxic agent, stable linker and a targeting mAb.
