The latest news from CDMOs, CMOs, and suppliers featuring news from Piramal, Just-Evotec Biologics, Cognate BioServices, Cobra Biologics, and Jones Healthcare Group.

Chemicals/Chemical API Manufacturing

Piramal Pharma Invests $19 M to Expand its API Mfg Facility

Piramal Pharma Solutions (PPS), an end-to-end CDMO of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and drug products, has announced an investment of CAD$25 million ($19 million) to expand its Aurora facility in Canada with the addition of a new wing dedicated to manufacturing APIs.

The expansion at the Aurora facility will include a new addition that features 10,500 square feet of new manufacturing space. The additional capacity will be used to produce APIs and high-potency APIs down to an occupational exposure limit (OEL) of 1mcg/m³. It will also include filtration and drying capabilities. The expansion will further include two new reactor suites as well as a dedicated filter dryer room and a portable filter dryer.

The expansion is expected to be completed and running by April 30, 2021. PPS had successful inspections by the US Food and Drug Administration, the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency at its Aurora facility.

Source: Piramal Pharma Solutions

Biologics Manufacturing

Cognate BioServices Completes Acquisition of CDMO Cobra Biologics

Cognate BioServices, a CDMO specializing in services for cell and cell-mediated gene therapy products, has completed its acquisition of Cobra Biologics, a biologics CDMO that provides development and manufacturing services for plasmid DNA and viral vectors, proteins and microbiota as well as fill–finish services.

Cobra Biologics has cGMP facilities in the UK and Sweden. Cognate operates an 80,000-plus- square-foot manufacturing facility in Memphis, Tennessee and a dedicated development facility in Baltimore, Maryland.

Source: Cognate BioServices, Cobra Biologics

Just-Evotec Biologics Begins Construction of New Biomfg Facility; Signs Capacity Pact with Merck & Co.

Just–Evotec Biologics, a technology platform company for the development and manufacture of biologics, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Evotec,  has initiated the construction of a late-stage clinical and commercial manufacturing facility for biologics in Redmond, Washington.

Construction on the greenfield site, located in Redmond Ridge Business Park, was recently initiated, and the new facility is expected to be completed by late 2020 and operational in the first quarter of 2021. The 130,000-square-foot facility will contain manufacturing pods for implementing intensified fed-batch or continuous processing up to a 1,000-L scale, with the capability of manufacturing metric tons of drug substance. Also included are supporting quality labs, a warehouse, process-development labs and collaborative office and meeting spaces for approximately 200 employees at full capacity.

Separately, Just–Evotec Biologics has expanded its existing agreement, formed in 2015, with Merck & Co. to grant Merck access to capacity in the company’s facility in Redmond, Washington, which is currently under construction. The terms of the collaboration include an upfront payment of $15 million, near-term milestone payments based on completion of the construction of the facility as well as a broad collaboration around reserved capacities.

Source: Just–Evotec Biologics

Packaging

Jones Packaging Plans To Invest $20 M, New Name Change

Jones Packaging, a provider of advanced packaging and medication dispensing product and services, plans to invest $20 million into the business over the next two years. The company is also launching a new corporate identity to change its name to Jones Healthcare Group.

The company has three business units and two European subsidiaries, Venalink UK and Venalink Spain.

Source: Jones Healthcare Group