Takeda contracts Resilience to bolster plasma network

The deal sees CDMO Resilience support the development and manufacture of Takeda’s plasma-derived medicines portfolio from its site in Ontario, Canada.

Reporting on its third quarter FY2022 at the beginning of this month, Takeda posted revenues of 363.2 billion yen ($3.2 billion) from its plasma-derived therapy (PDT) immunology division, up 10% year-on-year and driven by immunoglobulin and albumin sales.

The firm also told stakeholders it is undergoing a strategy to increase plasma supply and manufacturing capacity by more than 65% by the end of FY2023 to support forecasted growth.

Image: DiverDave, creative commons, via Wikimedia Commons

Two weeks on, and a deal has emerged with contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Resilience, which will help develop and manufacture multiple products in Takeda’s plasma-derived medicines portfolio from its facilities in Mississauga, Ontario.

“We are delighted to form this strategic collaboration with Resilience, leveraging their expertise in both plasma therapy development and manufacturing to complement our current infrastructure and capabilities,” said Andreas Liebminger, head of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Devices for the Plasma-Derived Therapies Business Unit at Takeda.

“Our partnership will allow us to optimally use our combined assets to continue to bolster our portfolio, drive innovation and help more patients around the world realize the benefits of plasma medicines.”

The 136,000 square-foot Mississauga site was added to Resilience’s network in early 2021 through the acquisition of Therapure Biopharma’s CDMO assets. The firm has received $164 million from the Canadian Government to help modernize the site and strengthen emergency preparedness for future pandemics. Financial details surrounding the Takeda contract, however, have not been divulged.

The news is the latest in a string of deals for Resilience, a CDMO that launched in November 2020 with $800 million in hand with a mission to address capacity issues in the advanced therapeutics area.

Just last week, the US Department of Defense awarded a $250 million contract to Resilience acquisition Ology Bioservices to develop a monoclonal antibody as a medical countermeasure to botulinum neurotoxins.

Resilience has also been contracted by AavantiBio to support its gene therapies candidates from the Ology site in Florida, and is making mRNA for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine out of Mississauga.