Swiss CDMO giant Lonza continues to spend the almost $1 billion it pledged earlier this year to expand its global manufacturing capabilities. This week, the company said it'll add more capacity at its microbial operations in Switzerland.
With the latest investment, Lonza plans to boost capacity of its development services for microbial-derived proteins by adding more laboratory space and equipment.
Lonza plans to consolidate its microbial operation at its Visp site and add throughput equipment and automation upgrades such as three liquid handling workstations. A dedicated pilot suite with a 50-liter fermenter and other equipment will produce non-GMP product to be used in formulation and toxicology studies.
“For some of these molecules, microbial systems show better and more efficient productivities, which is increasing the trend toward outsourcing,” Shiva Khalafpour, vice president and head of Lonza’s microbial business unit, said in a statement. “Expanding our development laboratories will enable us to support new customers with the development and manufacture of these molecules and other recombinant proteins for both clinical and commercial projects.”
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The company didn't disclose the exact cost of the expansion.
The additions will be integrated with current manufacturing capacity at the site, and new midscale assets are expected to come online next year.
Back in May, Lonza committed $935 million to expanding production sites in Switzerland and New Hampshire. The campaign includes the addition of two new mammalian manufacturing facilities and more than 550 jobs in the next three years.