AGC Bio Boosts Manufacturing Capacity for pDNA and mRNA at Heidelberg Facility

AGC Biologics announced expansion plans on Sept. 13, 2021, for its Heidelberg, Germany facility to raise manufacturing capacities for plasmid DNA (pDNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA) projects.

The expansion will boost the company’s current 100-L and 1000-L manufacturing capacities with the addition of a new good manufacturing practice (GMP) manufacturing line. Other additions include a new GMP cleanroom for mRNA development and manufacturing, a new process development lab for microbial protein and cell and gene therapy (CGT) projects, and additional warehouse capacity. The expansions will be fully operational in 2023.

This current expansion is the latest in a series of investments AGC Biologics has made this year. In August 2021, the company broke ground on a new multipurpose facility in Copenhagen, Denmark, to grow its global capacity and acquired a CGT commercial manufacturing facility in Longmont, Colo. Earlier this year, the company expanded its CGT facility in Milan, Italy, and added additional capacity and viral vector suspension capabilities.

“This investment helps strengthen our existing pDNA capabilities and supports our entry into the mRNA space,” said AGC Biologics CEO Patricio Massera in a company press release. “With the global pDNA and mRNA markets experiencing record growth, we are focused on ensuring our facilities worldwide offer innovative services that meet the needs of therapeutics developers.”

“These new capacities will help strengthen our Heidelberg facility,” said Dieter Kramerm, AGC Biologics Heidelberg site head, in the press release. “We are looking forward to this location having a greater impact on the services AGC Biologics offers to our industry.”

Source: AGC Biologics