Patheon On Keeping Up With Biologics Demand

Patheon is doubling its biomanufacturing capacity through a $50 million investment in Missouri. We spoke with the CDMO about the continued demand for biologics services and its relationship with owner Thermo Fisher.

In April, contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Patheon announced plans to add 16,000 L of single-use capacity at its St Louis, Missouri facility.

The US$50 million (€43 million) expansion effectively doubles the firm’s global biomanufacturing capacity. According to David Kenyon, senior director of Global Scientific and Technical Affairs at Patheon Biologics, this is the latest in a continued investment strategy aimed at keeping up with the demand for its services.

“We’re seeing throughout our network an increase in capacity needs for biologics, both in the US and across our network overseas,” he told BioProcess Insider at the BIO convention in Boston. “[The Missouri expansion] is about 65,000 square feet, which will help us supply the market and service our customers’ needs going forward.”

Interviewed as part of the Insider Daily series at the BPI Theater, Kenyon said the firm has also expanded its process development services several times over the past few years to keep up with the demand.

“Every time we say this will be enough space and enough needs, we find that customer needs grow.”

He added: “We’re going to keep pace with that, whether it’s in the development or clinical or commercial manufacturing space. We now have three manufacturing sites which we’ve expanded over recent years and going forward we will expand as the demand comes up.”

Thermo Fisher: ‘A Huge Reservoir of Resources’

The Missouri facility will be equipped with single-use bioreactors supplied by Thermo Fisher Scientific.

“We will have Thermo Fisher reactors in that space,” said Kenyon. “We’re also going to do what is called a SmartFactory which allows us to gather data throughout the production process in a very quick and efficient manner so we can process the data coming from the production floor very easily so we will be using those advantages in this construction.”

Equipment vendor Thermo Fisher acquired Patheon in August 2017 for around $7.2 billion by Thermo, something Kenyon said has supported Patheon’s growth in the space.

“Standalone, we were doing ok with meeting the market demand… Thermo Fisher Scientific has a broad support for the market across the industry, so whether it is analytical complexities, or diagnostics or now pharma services, there is a much stronger infrastructure.

“It gives us, as Patheon, a huge reservoir of resources in terms of technology in terms of subject matter experts, in terms of meeting the market demand, and also in terms of general support in the industry.”