The facility, which is part of the company’s strategic growth plan, aims to enhance pharmaceutical development and manufacturing offerings in Asia. This will aid in meeting the increasing worldwide demand for advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) and biologics.
The 20,000m², four-story site will be one of largest sites in the country for mammalian-based manufacturing capacity.
It will provide pre-clinical through commercial activities for cell therapies, mammalian-based protein biologics, and messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA).
The plant will also feature various 2,000L single-use bioreactors as well as 4,000L or bigger reactors for mammalian cell culture activities.
This site development is supported by a grant from the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). It is part of an initiative to strengthen vaccine production in the region.
The Yokohama site will come up with a total investment of nearly Y50bn ($350.5m), and is anticipated to create 400 jobs, once fully operational.
The site is set to enhance the capabilities available to domestic and worldwide developers in biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing.
Presently, AGC Biologics runs a site in the Chiba region, providing mammalian expression and microbial fermentation services.
The new Yokohama facility will complement these services and is expected to bolster operational and supply chain expertise across the company’s network globally.
AGC Biologics CEO Patricio Massera said: “With an increased demand in this region for high-quality partners that have a history of clinical and commercial biopharmaceutical manufacturing, we are making this investment to offer developers the services they need, and strengthen our global CDMO network.
“The new Yokohama facility will be a central location for innovators in Japan and across the Asia Pacific, offering scientific expertise, technical flexibility and needed services to support development and manufacturing at every critical stage.”