biomanufacturing Archives - Medical Design Sourcing

Amgen opens AI-enabled Ohio biomanufacturing facility

CEO Bob Bradway rallies the manufacturing team at Amgen Ohio with a chant of “OH-IO.”

Earlier this year, NVIDIA and Amgen revealed plans to analyze one of the world’s largest human datasets using AI models trained on an NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD in Iceland. Now, Amgen is signaling its continued commitment to cutting-edge tech with a ribbon cutting for an advanced biomanufacturing facility in New Albany, Ohio.

Known as Amgen Ohio, the facility is designed to uphold the company’s reputation for quality and reliability. It will play a significant role in producing innovative biomedicines to address serious diseases, employing approximately 400 people across various roles.

The new facility “was designed with the latest innovation and technology to deliver safe, reliable medicines for ‘every patient, every time,’” said Bob Bradway, chairman and chief executive officer at Amgen.

Amge…

Pharma manufacturing sees wave of investments in Europe

[Adobe Stock]

Over the past three months, the pharma sector has seen a string of investments in manufacturing facilities, especially in Europe. While the European economy lost momentum in 2023 owing to a high cost of living, weak external demand, and monetary tightening, the prospects for growth remain stronger with the EU GDP growth forecast to improve to 1.3% in 2024, according to the European Commission. As economic prospects improve in 2024, major pharma companies are doubling down on investments in European manufacturing infrastructure and jobs to meet strong global demand. While the sector regains momentum, the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) has expressed concerns about a proposed overhaul of pharma rules from the European Commission, which it worries could harm future investments in the region. For the time being, major pharma companies including Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly…

Single-use technologies gain wide adoption in biomanufacturing

The G3 Electronic Fieldbus Platform complements Emerson’s AVENTICSSeries 501 Pneumatic Valve Manifold. The graphic display for configuration and diagnostics is compatible with various communication protocols, such as Ethernet IP, ProfiNet and DeviceNet. Photo courtesy of Emerson.

With the rise of biologics and personalized medicine, the biopharmaceutical industry is adding single-use technologies (SUTs) to their manufacturing options. Manufacturers are realizing the benefits of being agile, and many are adopting SUTs to turn over smaller batches of new products quickly and efficiently. Single-use technologies use disposable bioprocessing equipment, such as bags and flexible tubing, instead of conventional, permanent stainless steel systems. By eliminating the time-consuming clean-in-place (CIP) and steam-in-place (SIP) processes between batches, SUTs speed up the changeover time and greatly reduce the costs of ener…

Sandoz’s Hyrimoz to challenge AbbVie’s Humira dominance

A robotic arm transfers Humira pens from the conveyor to two-pack cartons. [Image from AbbVie]

The generic and biosimilar company Sandoz, a Novartis (NYSE:SIX) subsidiary, has received FDA approval for its Humira biosimilar Hyrimoz (adalimumab-adaz) injection. AbbVie’s (NYSE:ABBV) megablockbuster Humira is a biologic medication with indications for an array of autoimmune conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and psoriasis. Sandoz’s biosimilar will likely be priced significantly lower than Humira’s. This fact could dramatically impact the marketplace for AbbVie’s version of the drug, as it is priced lower and could lead to a decrease in market share for Humira.

The FDA approved Sandoz’s Hyrimoz, a biosimilar of AbbVie’s Humira, to treat seven conditions: rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis,…

Biotech Agenus acquires 120 acres in biomanufacturing center in California

Agenus (Lexington, Mass.) has purchased 120 acres in the California Biomanufacturing Center located in Vacaville near Sacramento.

Agenus specializes in immuno-oncology products, which span checkpoint antibodies, cell therapies, vaccines and adjuvants.

Agenus purchased the parcels from A.G. Spanos, a housing developer.

Vacaville is aiming to spur the growth of its biotech industry. Currently, the largest biotech hubs in the state are in the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California.

“We are excited to expand our manufacturing and process research capabilities in Vacaville as we contemplate the commercialization of our exciting pipeline of high-tech cancer treatments,” said Garo Armen, CEO of Agenus, in a statement. “The city of Vacaville is a true partner with their commitment; Vacaville’s close proximity to talent and its high quality of life offerings were amongst the key considerations in our decision.”

Vacaville, a city of approxima…