In the recently completed phase 1 of the capacity increase, the drugmaker upgraded an R&D laboratory with the addition of several analytical instruments and a GMP mid-scale purification unit headed by Sebastien Thomas. The former Janssen manager has nearly 30 years of experience in Supercritical Fluid Chromatography (SFC) purification.

As cGMP high-grade lipids play an “increasingly significant” role in today’s mRNA pharmaceutical development landscape, CordenPharma said it applied the French grant toward expanding Chenôve’s capabilities to include innovative purification technologies that reduce the lipids’ environmental footprint. The ongoing program will create some 30 new jobs at the facility.

The company has now initiated phase 2 of the project, which foresees design and construction of a larger GMP lipid chemistry facility at the Chenôve site. The two-stage move is designed to further enhance its position as a major European supplier of the highly pure lipids. The new facility will be in place by the end of this year.

Author: Dede Williams, Freelance Journalist