Recipharm says the 2,000 square-foot expansion at the Arranta Bio Watertown, Massachusetts facility will help accelerate customer RNA development projects.

Less than a year after the acquisition of Boxborough, Massachusetts-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO)Arranta Bio, Recipharm has expanded RNA process development capacity by 50% through a 2,000 square-foot buildout of the Watertown, facility.

As well as doubling laboratory capacity, the expansion of the 80,000 square-foot commercial-ready GMP manufacturing facility includes “flexible, modular small scale and pilot scale equipment,” says Recipharm, with the aim to “enable rapid development and scale up to GMP manufacturing.”

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“The opening of our additional development laboratory space for RNA technologies at Watertown means we are well positioned to help our clients quickly and effectively scale up processes for successful GMP manufacturing,” says David Stevens, CEO of Arranta Bio.

Traditionally a small molecule CDMO, Recipharm entered the biologics drug substance space through the acquisition of Genlbet in February 2022. The same month, the firm expanded its capabilities in virotherapy and live biotherapeutic products (LBPs) through the respective additions of Vibalogics and Arranta.

The investment is the latest expansion across Recipharm’s manufacturing network. In October last year, the firm invested in a high speed filling line for pre-filled syringes and cartridges at its facility in Wasserburg, Germany.

Furthermore, the firm has spoken of “new fill & finish facilities in France, Italy, India, and Morocco” as part of its wider growth program.