Lonza to expand UK manufacturing site
29 Mar 2011
Basel, Switzerland – Swiss group Lonza is to invest £16 million to further develop the flexibility and capability of its Slough, UK biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility: adding a new fermentation suite, new purification suites, new process development laboratories and a new GMP warehouse.
The site develops and manufactures antibodies and therapeutic proteins used in the clinical stages of drug development and ongoing commercial supply of marketed biopharmaceutical products.
The FDA/MHRA-approved manufacturing site includes a small-scale pilot plant and a range of GMP production reactor capacities between 200 and 2000 liters.
The unit also houses Lonza’s Biopharmaceutical Center of Excellence (mammalian) offering cell line construction, upstream and downstream process development and a broad range of analytical services to the biopharmaceutical industry.
The Slough site has been operational since 1985 and currently employs approximately 650 employees.
“The planned investment is aligned with our strategic direction for the site and will further enhance our operational capability,” said Gordon Bates, Head of Lonza’s Slough Facility. “We are delighted with the investment and eager to push on and realize the benefits of the investment for both our employees and our customers.”
The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2012 with no disruption to ongoing activities.
“A key pillar of our strategic initiatives for the development services business is portfolio expansion”, said Janet White, Head of Lonza Development Services. “This investment will allow us to support the immediate and future needs of both established and emerging clients.”
