Contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) WuXi Biologics has announced plans to build its Biologics Innovation Center in the Fengxian district of Shanghai.
The 1.6 million-square-foot centre will house discovery and development laboratories, alongside good manufacturing practice (GMP) capabilities for commercial production.
Laboratory facilities are due to open in 2019, with GMP manufacturing expected to launch in 2021. The site will accommodate more than 3,000 scientists recruited predominantly from China.
According to CEO Chris Chen, the build responds to growing demand for the manufacture of large molecule drugs: “We have a portfolio of 187 biologics [that require] manufacturing and the number of projects is still growing,” we were told. The Innovation Center brings “everything in one place,” he continued.
The firm did not disclose the cost of the build, nor provide specifics on the site’s “significant” bioreactor capacity.
The announcement adds to the Chinese CDMO’s growing site network, which also includes plans for international expansion in Ireland, Singapore, and the US.