Sekisui has invested £14.4 million ($18.93 million) in its biopharma CDMO business aimed at cGMP microbial capacity expansion at the existing site in Maidstone, Kent to be completed by the second half of 2022.
 
This investment follows the investment of $1.9 million in its new Bioprocess Innovation Center, completed in October 2019, and is part of a long-term investment strategy to grow its share of the microbial biopharma CDMO market.
 
Previously part of Genzyme Corporation, Sekisui Diagnostics' Enzyme business launched its microbial biopharma CDMO service offering, BioProduction by Sekisui, in 2017. The facility expansion and cGMP upgrades will enable Sekisui to take on drug substance contract manufacturing for programs entering the clinical trial phase. The new cGMP certified microbial fermentation and purification suites will accommodate production scales up to 1,000L, complementing its existing capabilities which range from 20L to 5,000L fermentation scale.
 
Sekisui has wide experience with projects from pre-clinical to commercialization, including but not limited to recombinant systems such as E. coli and Pichia pastoris, and associated purification and analytical technologies. Its main expertise lies in the production of enzymes, however its capabilities are also suitable for plasmids, antibody fragments, and other protein production.
 
"This investment represents our commitment to serve our Biopharma customers with much needed cGMP microbial CDMO production capacity." said Robert Schruender, president & CEO of Sekisui Diagnostics and Sekisui Medical board member. "Over many years we have built both a technical and operational competency and expertise in enzyme production and microbial fermentation. As the Biopharma CDMO market grows, we aim to further leverage this capability to grow our share in this market."