The 50,000-sq.-ft. cGMP fermentation expansion will focus on niche fermentation of APIs and bulk drugs, producing secondary metabolites (antibiotic-like molecules), cytotoxins and large-molecule proteins. A 30,000-sq.-ft. area has been designed to be Biosafety Level 2 compliant, enabling manipulation of human pathogens. Capabilities include 1,000-liter and 4,000-liter tank capacities for bacterial and fungal fermentation, as well as explosion-proof suites.
"Fermentation is a long-standing technology, yet new applications have been recently discovered, including the synthesis of high potency compounds, which is a major growth area currently driving contract manufacturers such as SAFC to look beyond traditional active pharmaceutical ingredient (APIs)," said SAFC president, Gilles Cottier.