Fujifilm Diosynth breaks ground on $300m single-use plant

Fujifilm has begun construction on a facility in Texas described as the largest single-use CDMO production campus in North America.

Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies announced the expansion of its College Station, Texas facility December 2021, but work finally began yesterday with the contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) holding a groundbreaking ceremony.

Once operational – by 2024, according to the firm – the $300 million expansion will add 138,000 square feet to the existing 300,000 square feet campus, providing space for multiple 500 L and 2,000 L single-use bioreactors and associated disposable purification equipment.

“The economic impact of Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies’ new facility in College Station will be immense for Texas,” said Adriana Cruz, executive director of Texas Economic Development and Tourism.

“Not only is it a significant capital investment creating 150 new skilled jobs, it will also strengthen Texas’ expertise in biotech and life sciences with what is expected to be the largest single-use CDMO production campus in North America.”

Fujifilm’s single-use ambitions go hand-in-hand with its fixed stainless-steel manufacturing operations. The firm is constructing a ¥200 billion ($1.4 billion) site in Holly Springs – about 10 miles southwest of Raleigh – North Carolina set to boast 160,000 L of mammalian cell culture capacity, made up of eight 20,000 L stainless-steel tanks. The site will be expandable to 640,00 L.

Fujifilm and Rooster

In related news, Fujifilm has teamed with RoosterBio to offer its customers the latter’s process development technology for both mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) and extracellular vesicle (EV) / exosome programs.

“This collaboration will enable us to become a fully integrated cell therapy CDMO partner to our biopharma customers,” said Gerry Farrell, chief operating officer, Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, Texas and California.

“MSC products are known to have great potential in areas such as regenerative medicine and immune system modulation. In addition, exosomes are attractive as drug delivery vehicles as well as therapeutics. The partnership is aligned with our core purpose of advancing tomorrow’s medicines by enabling the advancement of our customer’s pipelines in this space.”