AGC Biologics to boost its biopharmaceutical CDMO capacity in Denmark

The €160 million investment will double the company's single-use bioreactor mammalian cell-culture capacity

The biopharmaceutical CDMO market continues to grow at around 10% annually and, according to AGC Biologics, the accumulation of contracts awarded to them is outpacing the market.

The CDMO, which specializes in the development and manufacture of mammalian and microbial-based therapeutic proteins, plasmid DNA, viral vectors and genetically engineered cells, will construct a new building on land adjacent to its current Copenhagen site, adding production floors with 2000-L single-use bioreactors, laboratories and office space.

This expansion will more than double AGC Biologics’ single-use bioreactor mammalian cell-culture capacity in Copenhagen, as the company seeks to meet growing market demand. The new building will have a total floor area of approximately 19,000 m2 and is an important part of the CDMO's global expansion plan.

The total investment for this expansion is estimated to be €160 million, and the start of operation is scheduled for 2023.

According to AGC Biologics Chief Technical Officer, Kasper Møller, the new state-of-the-art facility will provide both "flexible" and "efficient" manufacturing.

The company's global network currently spans the US, Europe and Asia, with cGMP-compliant facilities in Seattle, Washington; Boulder, Colorado; Copenhagen, Denmark; Heidelberg, Germany; Milan, Italy; and Chiba, Japan.