ConserV Bioscience and eTheRNA will share their expertise to develop an mRNA-based vaccine for HIV. The partnership will bring together ConserV’s services in identifying protective antigens and eTheRNA’s TriMix immunostimulatory mRNA technology and novel lipid nanoparticle encapsulation technologies. “We will first collaborate on an mRNA vaccine against HIV,†Tim Van Assche, director of Business Development and Alliance Management at eTheRNA Immunotherapies told BioProcess Insider. “In case results are positive, the collaboration will be extended to other mRNA vaccine formulations based…
Author Archives: Millie Nelson
GSK expands its manufacturing capacity at CGT Catapult
Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult says GlaxoSmithKline is expanding its clinical trial manufacturing capacity in Stevenage, UK to drive its gene therapy pipeline.  No financial details have been disclosed, however through this agreement GSK is set to leverage the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGT Catapult) Stevenage facility to improve its GMP cell processing network and, in turn, streamline technical transfer and develop its gene therapy pipeline. “GSK is the seventh collaborator to join and this increases further the breadth…
Univercells Technologies teams with High Purity New England for distribution
High Purity New England (HPNE) will market and sell Univercells Technologies’ products in the US after the two firms enter an agreement. No financials are connected to the agreement, however HPNE is now an authorized distributor of the firm’s technology offerings, which includes the Nevoline Upstream platform, the scale-X carbo system, and the scale-X hydro system. “The goal is to increase reach, expand the sales pipeline and further build the supply and service organization, recognizing the importance of being closer…
Novartis: Kundl shines bright for CureVac’s COVID vaccine
Novartis has invested €20 million ($23.8m) to service the CureVac deal and says up to 100 jobs will be created at its Kundl site in Austria.  Last week, Novartis became the latest firm to partner with CureVac to help manufacture its COVID-19 candidate, CVnCoV, at Novartis’ site in Kundl, Austria. The firm plans to manufacture up to 50 million doses by the end of 2021 and, potentially, a further 200 million doses by 2022. A spokesperson for Novartis told…
Going Dutch: Intravacc paves way for in-country vaccine production
CDMO Intravacc has started a concept design for a so-called ‘Multi-Purpose Vaccine Production Plant’ in response to COVID-19. Dutch contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) Intravacc has signed a letter of intent alongside Bilthoven Biologicals, Poonawalla Science Park and Alt Foundation to begin developing a Multi-Purpose Vaccine Production Plant (MPVPP) at Utrecht Science Park, Bilthoven. According to Intravacc, the coronavirus pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of the Netherlands regarding the development and manufacturing of vaccines for its own population.  The firm…
Fujifilm says Denmark expansion meets continued CDMO demand
Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies says the continual growth of the biopharma CDMO market means its Danish site will help meet industry demands as it begins its $928 million cell culture expansion project. In June 2020, the firm announced plans to invest $928 million to double capacity at the Danish site it acquired from Biogen in 2019. The capacity was 90,000 L and the expansion (which started last week) will boast another six large-scale stainless-steel tanks, giving a total capacity of 240,000…
Novartis inks COVID-19 vaccine deal with CureVac
Novartis is the latest firm to partner with CureVac and plans to help make up to 250 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, CVnCoV by 2022.  The Swiss firm is set to support manufacturing of CVnCoV, an mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate, which is currently in Phase II studies and expected to merge into a Phase III efficacy trial. The manufacturing is anticipated to start in Q2, 2021 at Novartis’ site in Kundl, Austria. The firm is aiming to produce…
Cell & gene CDMOs: Expansions by AGC, Celonic, Resilience
AGC Biologics plans to expand its cell and gene therapy center; Celonic has a new production site and Resilience acquires a manufacturing facility in Canada. Great to have you here for BioProcess Insider’s CDMO round-up. First up in our cell and gene contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) round-up is AGC biologics which recently announced plans to expand its cell and gene therapy center located in Milan, Italy. The expansion will up its capacity and install viral vector suspension capabilities. The firm acquired Molecular…
Rivals unite: J&J inks vaccine deal with Merck
Merck & Co. has partnered with J&J to help manufacture its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine which recently received approval from the FDA. After discontinuing its own COVID vaccine development at the start of this year, Merck & Co. (known as MSD outside of North America) has formed a partnership with Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to use its facilities to manufacture the vaccine and provide a fill-finish service. “Two of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world who are usually competitors are…
Catalent dismisses production problems in J&J COVID vaccine rollout
CDMO Catalent has refuted claims that US rollout of the recently approved J&J vaccine has been slowed down by problems at its fill-finish facilities. Shortly after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot  vaccine making it the third authorized COVID vaccine  in the US, the Financial Times reported that Catalent is suffering production problems that “have contributed to the US government being set to receive millions fewer doses than it expected this month.†The British…