Lonza to Invest in Portsmouth, NH (USA) Site, Including Mid-Scale Biologics

Lonza Pharma & Biotech announced the investment in a new phase of development at their Portsmouth, NH (USA) site. The expansion will include mid-scale mammalian capacity and the addition of new cell-therapy suites. With this latest round of growth, Lonza Portsmouth confirms its position as a leading-house in biologics manufacturing and ensures capacity for customers in the years ahead.

Lonza is installing multiple 6,000L bioreactors at the site to meet existing and new customers’ needs, with building expected to start in late 2018. Further expansion of mid-scale capacity is seen as a key area of growth by the Swiss-based manufacturer, driven by several factors including a favorable regulatory environment for developing products for niche indications. Lonza’s Portsmouth site is ideally placed for the addition of mid-scale capacity within their existing global network, which ranges from small, single-use bioreactors to large-scale assets.

The new facilities have been designed to ensure reliable delivery of innovative medicines. With a strong focus on automation, Lonza is implementing full-suite process analytic technology (PAT) and advanced multi-variate analysis (MVA) to ensure consistent performance. The hybrid facility, which also incorporates state-of-the-art, single-use technologies for simplified processing, will be installed in an existing building.

“These new facilities have been designed specifically to deliver for our customers and their patients,” commented Marc Funk, COO Lonza Pharma & Biotech. “They will be enabled by cutting-edge technology developed with our R&D team and the decades of expertise at our Portsmouth site”

In addition, Lonza is installing multiple cell-therapy suites at the Portsmouth site. In February 2018, the company established centers of excellence in cell and gene therapy across its network, placing Portsmouth as a clinical and commercial manufacturing center in this emerging technology. Customers will have access to facilities for phase I through to commercial manufacturing under one roof, expected to be fully operational by late 2018.