With a total bioreactor capacity of around 330,000 liters, the Vacaville site is one of the largest biologics manufacturing facilities in the world. This acquisition significantly extends Lonza’s manufacturing capacity for late-stage clinical and commercial products, and new molecules on the path to commercialization within the Lonza network. The site, which employs more than 750 people, joins the Mammalian business unit within the company’s Biologics division.

The Vacaville facility creates a substantial commercial manufacturing presence on the US West Coast close to the pharmaceutical and biotech hub of San Francisco and complements Lonza's existing East Coast manufacturing site in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, as well as its international network in Europe and Asia Pacific, the Swiss contract manufacturing and development organization (CDMO) said.

Wolfgang Wienand, CEO of Lonza, commented: “The successful acquisition of the Vacaville site marks a major milestone for Lonza, and for our commitment to deliver long-term value for our customers and shareholders. As the Vacaville site joins our Biologics division, we look forward to bringing new customer projects into the facility to meet sustained demand for commercial biologics manufacturing across our business.”

According to Lonza, the acquisition of this site complements the company’s ongoing investments in large-scale bioconjugation in Visp, Switzerland, and drug product manufacturing in Stein, Switzerland. Lonza said that it plans to invest approximately 500 million Swiss francs to further upgrade the facility and add capabilities to meet demand for the next generation of mammalian biologics therapies.

The products previously manufactured at the site will now be supplied by Lonza to Roche with committed minimum volumes over the medium term, phasing out over time as the site transitions to serve alternative customers, the company stated.