The company will use the funds to install new bioreactors, syringe filling lines, quality control laboratories, automated packaging and increase the lyophilisation capacity
Catalent will invest $350m in its Bloomington, Indiana plant. (Credit: katicaj from Pixabay)
US-based Catalent has announced a multi-year $350m investment at its facility in Bloomington, Indiana to bolster the biologics drug substance and drug product manufacturing capabilities.
The company will use the funds to install new bioreactors, syringe filling lines, quality control laboratories, automated packaging and increase the lyophilisation capacity.
The expansion involves the installation of new 2,000-liter single-use bioreactors as well as expanded downstream processing capabilities for drug substances using 4,000 litres using single-use technology or 5,000 litres using existing stainless-steel bioreactors.
Catalent will also set up a new quality control lab and complicated packaging space with extra high-speed, automated cartoning and auto-injector device assembly capabilities.
The new capabilities are expected to be operational later this calendar year and will add over 1,000 new positions to Catalent’s Bloomington workforce.
The facility will also increase its pharma product fill/finish capacity by installing new syringe filling lines using barrier isolator technology and lyophilized vial capacity.
The site’s fill/finish solutions, when finished in 2024, will enable flexibility in dosage form presentations and batch sizes to support clients with early- and late-stage development programmes to high-volume commercial supply across numerous modalities.
Catalent biotherapeutics president Mike Riley said: “We continue to see strong growth in demand for biologics development and manufacturing with a deep pipeline across multiple indications.
“These investments will enable us to expand our flagship Bloomington facility and extend our leadership as one of the largest and most comprehensive global centres for integrated manufacturing capabilities.
“The site offers highly flexible and scalable solutions to companies developing new biological drugs, vaccines, RNA therapies, and other innovative treatments for patients around the world.”
The expansion follows several investments in Catalent Biologics’ worldwide network to upgrade its Limoges, France, fill/finish and packaging plant and the purchase of a new biologics development and manufacturing site in the UK.