China's WuXi AppTec to build $120M biologics center in Shanghai

Shanghai-based medical technology provider WuXi AppTec said last week it is building a $120 million "biologics solution center" at the company's headquarters to speed the development of biologic drugs.

The 250,000-square-foot facility will employ 800 researchers and should be operational by 2017, the company said in a release, adding that it will "provide integrated solutions from ideas to the clinic for biologics discovery, development and clinical manufacturing on a consolidated campus."

The company said the center will use its "OmniRat platform with Open Monoclonal Technology and use in-house phage display libraries to allow its clients to discover conventional mAbs, bispecific mAbs and anti-body drug conjugates." The new center will use "WuXi's proprietary CHO cell line platform to develop robust fed-batch and perfusion processes to meet demanding processing needs," the release stated.

WuXi CEO Ge Li

"We are very pleased to continue to invest in our biologics capabilities and expand our capacities to support the ambitious plans of our global clients," WuXi CEO Ge Li said in a statement. "Through this investment, WuXi will further strengthen its position as a global leader in biologics R&D, offering a truly unique integrated solution."

Back in May, WuXi started work on another $150 million facility for its biologics unit that it plans to use for mammalian cell cultures using disposable bioreactors.

As FiercePharmaAsia reported in May 2015, the company spent a year expanding from lab, contract research and manufacturing services into genomics, e-commerce and clinical screening testing.

- here's the release

EJ Lane contributed to this report.