Japan’s Fujifilm, whose pharma division is moving toward clinical trials for a cancer drug, is building a plant to produce liposomes that can be the delivery vehicles for it and other drug candidates.
The company said last week that it will invest about 4 billion yen ($37.5 million) to build the plant at the production site of its Toyama Chemical unit in Tokyo. It said construction is slated to begin in September and to be operational by February 2020.
The Japanese company said it intends to use advanced nano-dispersion technology, analysis technology and process technology cultivated through its photographic film business for the development of liposome drugs that will efficiently deliver the active ingredient to the affected area and enhance efficacy.
Fujifilm hopes to start clinical trials this year on its anticancer drug candidate FF-10832 but said the new plant will also be used to develop other liposome drugs.
RELATED: Fuji completes cell culture manufacturing expansion in U.K.
Separately, Fujifilm’s contract manufacturing operations has been expanding with about $130 million in announced investments in its 10,000-square-foot, cell culture process development laboratories in Billingham, U.K.
The additional funding will support its monoclonal antibody platform for cell culture development work, as well as its cell culture facility in Texas.