Lonza Inc. to Invest $15.1 Million to Expand Antibody Drug Conjugate

Swiss pharmaceutical ingredients and specialty chemicals firm Lonza (SIX: LONN) plans to invest 14 million Swiss francs ($15.1 million) to expand antibody drug conjugate (ADC) manufacturing capacity in Visp, Switzerland. Oncology therapeutics including ADCs represent one of the fastest growing segments of the pharma and biotech industry and the deployment of ADC targeted therapies has intensified in recent years, the company noted. Because current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) production of ADCs presents unique challenges, facilities must be designed to handle both biological species and highly potent cytotoxic small molecule drugs. Lonza has been a pioneer in the manufacturing of ADCs since its initial investment in 2006 which established manufacturing suites for both small and large scale projects, dedicated research and development labs, and quality control facilities specifically for ADCs. Since 2010, Lonza has validated large scale manufacturing of platform technologies primarily utilized by ADC drug developers. Will double existing capacity The expansion of the ADC facility will double the existing large-scale manufacturing capacity in Visp while allowing current operations to continue without interruption. It is the next step in bringing challenging new technologies to one of Lonza’s main sites. The capacity expansion, expected to be complete in the second quarter of 2014, has the potential to bring new job opportunities across all functions in Visp.