AGC doubles viral vector capacity at Longmont plant

AGC Biologics is adding viral vector suspension technology and capacity to advance manufacturing of gene therapies at its Longmont, Colorado facility.

The expansion will come online in the third quarter of 2022 to help meet market demands and, according to the contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO), the investment will more than double the site’s viral vector capacity.

“Viral vector manufacturing is a complex process and developers are turning to AGC Biologics because we have the expertise and programs to help meet their viral vector demands,” a spokesperson for the firm told BioProcess Insider.

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“As suspension is becoming a popular technology type because it can be a more productive and cost-efficient process for developing and manufacturing viral vectors, we felt it was essential to invest in this technology type. We have the adherent capabilities and brining in suspension enhances our site capabilities, while enabling us to offer the latest technology to customers that can help bring their products to the market as quickly and effectively as possible.”

The $4 million expansion is part of a $30 million investment by AGC at the Longmont campus it acquired from Novartis in August 2021. The additional capabilities will include 10 L and 50 L bioreactors for product development, as well as 50-2000 L bioreactors for commercial manufacturing capacities to support the entire lifecycle of a product.

The CDMO claims that the expansion demonstrates its commitment to its service offerings and ability to compete with other providers in the space.

“We have established a global network of sites to be close to our customers and to provide our service offerings in all the regions where we operate. This enables us to give customers what they want, where they want it as much as possible. We are committed to growing our capabilities in the cell and gene therapy space, and continuously innovating to solve our customers’ most complex challenges,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson did not provide specific numbers but told this publication that AGC is “actively recruiting for positions” at its Longmont plant and encourages “anyone who has viral vector and cell and gene experience to apply.”