Aldevron, a subsidiary of Danaher, unveiled plans to expand its mRNA manufacturing operations to include lipid nanoparticle (LNP) encapsulation and aseptic fill-finish capabilities.
The expansion will allow the global player in plasmid DNA, mRNA and recombinant proteins to offer a wider range of services to potential partners, the company said in a May 1 press release.
As part of the project, the Fargo, North Dakota-based CDMO will partner with Danaher subsidiaries Precision Nanosystems (PNI) and Cytiva. Aldevron plans to leverage PNI's LNP formulation expertise and Cytiva's SA25 aseptic filling workcell as part of the expansion, it said in a statement.
Aldevron didn't disclose the financial details of the project. The expansion is expected to be completed and operational in the second half of this year.
“By working with PNI and Cytiva, Aldevron can capitalize on their expertise to build a streamlined service for the development, production and release of mRNA drug substance and drug product,” Kevin Ballinger, Aldevron’s president, said in the release.
"Combined with our manufacturing expansion completed in March of this year, we can now offer our customers improved flexibility across a range of mRNA services," Ballinger added.
Danaher shelled out $9.6 billion in 2021 to acquire Aldevron, which was founded in 1998.
In the wake of the COVID-19 vaccine launches, mRNA production capacity has been stretched throughout the biopharma supply chain.