MilliporeSigma China testing lab fully operational

MilliporeSigma has completed the second phase of its China Biologics Testing Center, adding 1,500 square meters of laboratory space in Shanghai.

MilliporeSigma, the life sciences division of Merck KGaA, announced it had completed the first construction phase of its China Biologics Testing Center in September 2022 with the opening of a viral clearance (VC) laboratory in Shanghai.

The contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) has now opened the second phase of its €29 million ($31 million) testing space, making the center now fully operational.

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“The additional 1,500 square meters in the second phase of the Biologics Testing Center are dedicated to enhancing capabilities for cell line characterization, crucial for ensuring the safety, purity, and identity of biopharma customers’ cell banks,” Dirk Lange, head of Life Science Services, MilliporeSigma told BioProcess Insider.

“The testing center also offers cGMP-compliant lot release testing for unprocessed and purified bulk harvests to meet requirements for biologics entering preclinical and clinical studies, as well as licensed biologics.”

According to the firm, the completion of the second phase enables MilliporeSigma to offer clients a wide range of biosafety testing services for recombinant proteins, cell and gene therapies (CGTs), and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). In October, the CDMO said the addition of contract testing services to its offering had redefined what makes the company different in a competitive space.

“The expansion of the Biologics Testing Center in Shanghai signifies an important strategic move for Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany’s life science business. It not only broadens the company’s biosafety testing services globally and strengthens its position in the industry, offering innovative testing services to ensure the safety and quality of the biopharma industry’s supply chain,” Lange said.