Syngene International, a Biocon subsidiary and Bangalore, India-headquartered contract research organization, has reported on its recent developments and expansion plans.

In January 2018, Syngene signed a multi-year development and manufacturing relationship with Zoetis, an animal-health company. Syngene also expanded a research and development (R&D) collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) in November 2017.

The next phase of Syngene’s partnership with BMS will see the addition of a new facility to support future BMS R&D operations, an expansion of the team, and the extension of the existing agreement through 2026. As part of the expansion, Syngene will set up a new dedicated facility spread across 25,000 square feet of laboratory and office space for BMS. This facility will house an additional team of 75 Syngene scientists who will work exclusively in support of BMS.

Syngene and BMS have worked together since 1998. The research campus, known as Biocon BMS Research Center (BBRC), Syngene’s first dedicated R&D center, was established in 2007, which was subsequently renewed through 2020 and now has been further extended through 2026.

In another move, to increase manufacturing capacity, Syngene has commissioned a new biologics manufacturing facility with three single-use bioreactors (capacity of 2,000 liters each), designed to manufacture clinical as well as commercial batches for global markets. It also has two upstream suites that to enable parallel operations and one downstream train with post-viral segregation.

To strengthen Syngene’s commercial-scale manufacturing capacity, Syngene has also started construction activities at its upcoming active pharmaceutical ingredients manufacturing facility in Mangalore, Karnataka, India. The facility is on track to be operational in 2019.

Source: Syngene