FUJIFILM's Subsidiary Unveils £100M Microbial Fermentation Facility in the UK, Tripling Production Capacity

FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies has opened a new £100 million microbial fermentation manufacturing facility in Billingham, UK, significantly expanding its production capabilities.

Image credit: FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies

Key Highlights:

• Facility Details: The new facility is equipped with two 4000-liter fermenters, a primary separations suite, and a modular purification suite. This expansion triples the existing microbial production throughput at the site.

• Current Focus: The facility is currently supporting the production of a specialized ophthalmic therapeutic for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye disorder causing blurred central vision, affecting over 700,000 people in the UK.

• Production Capacity: With the new facility, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies has expanded its late-stage clinical and commercial cell culture drug substance manufacturing footprint.

• Flexibility and Future Preparedness: The facility is designed with the flexibility to accommodate new projects and can be repurposed to meet evolving global health needs, including potential pandemics.

• Company Remarks: The opening event featured statements from Lars Petersen (President and CEO), Kenneth Bilenberg (Chief Operating Officer), and Jonathan Haigh (UK Site Head) of FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies.

• Government Acknowledgment: Science Minister Lord Vallance recognized the investment as evidence of the economic value of the UK’s life sciences clusters.

Broader Picture: 

FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies operates a global network with locations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Denmark. The company specializes in the development and manufacturing of biologics, vaccines, advanced therapies, and oncolytic viruses, with over thirty years of experience in the field. The new facility in Billingham is part of a broader strategy to enhance supply chain resilience and support the commercialization of therapeutics.

The company also utilizes proprietary technologies such as the Paveway™ PLUS expression systems to advance clinical trials and bring medicines to market. Paveway™ PLUS is a well proven E. coli expression system with >150 different therapeutic proteins successfully expressed with a variety of accumulation routes, including intracellular soluble, intracellular insoluble and periplasmic secretion.  In addition to the potential for reduced costs of goods, Paveway also makes possible antibiotic-free cGMP production without compromising yields and versatility.

The UK facility expansion is part of ongoing developments at the BioCampus in Billingham, including expansions in Process Development and Quality labs. FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies’ broader infrastructure aims to meet the short- and long-term needs of its partners, ensuring a secure supply of therapeutics for clinical and commercial use.

Topics: Manufacturing & Pharma 4.0