Lonza reports that it will invest to expand mammalian development services in Singapore. The increased service capabilities are intended to complement the existing offering, consisting of cell line construction services, process development, and process characterization services at the mammalian and cell therapy manufacturing site in Singapore.
The investment will expand the current laboratory capabilities by establishing a new 1,800m2 lab at Singapore Science Park, increasing the headcount of the mammalian development services team in Singapore to 125 employees. The new laboratory began operations in September. As part of the investment, the existing laboratories at Lonza’s Tuas, Singapore site will be upgraded by the end of 2021.
“The growth of our global manufacturing network brought a need to increase services supporting these assets,” says Jeetendra Vaghjiani, PhD, senior director of clinical development for mammalian biologics, Lonza. “The investment to expand our mammalian manufacturing services in Singapore will ensure that our team continues to deliver timely support to our customers, in particular for process development and characterization studies necessary for advancing therapies towards regulatory approvals and commercialization.”
As part of the expansion, Lonza will invest in the latest technology for mammalian process and analytical development through the addition of systems for cell line development, perfusion, and process analytical technology for process development, as well as providing the capability to perform extensive characterization of biopharmaceuticals using mass spectrometry for the first time in Singapore.
The investment will also provide opportunities to expand the service offering and strengthen the position for the anticipated market growth in complex protein formats, adds Vaghjiani, who notes that addition of new technology, alongside the increase in capacity and headcount of Lonza’s development services team in Singapore, will provide a “comprehensive offering for small- and large-scale GMP mammalian manufacturing services and cell therapy capabilities.”
