Swiss plant demonstrates synergies of KBI and Selexis acquisitions for JSR

A facility in Geneva will be home to two of JSR Life Sciences acquisitions offering customers both cell line development and drug substance manufacturing.

Financial details of the new facility, occupying 8,700 square meters in the Stellar 32 campus in Geneva, Switzerland, have not been divulged, but will house both biologics manufacturer KBI Biopharma and cell line developer Selexis.

Both companies are owned by JSR Life Sciences, a California-headquartered firm which has been upping its presence in the bioprocess space through M&A activity over the past few years. The firm acquired contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) KBI in 2015, and Selexis in 2017.

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At the time of the Selexis buy, JSR said it would be integrated within KBI Biopharma’s operations to “create the most robust and fastest ‘Gene to GMP’ service offering in the biopharmaceutical industry,” and according to Tim Lowery, President, JSR Life Sciences, the Swiss facility is further evidence of this.

“Both companies continue to grow, and the modernized and expanded facilities will help Selexis meet the increased demand for its highly advanced, specialized cell line development work,” he told Bioprocess Insider.

“KBI wants to strengthen its position to offer clinical cGMP biologics bulk drug substance manufacturing for European clients. Together, these European operations will provide increased engagement with a broader European client base with whom we can partner more effectively due to our local presence.”

KBI Biopharma’s expanded capabilities, set to be operational mid-2022, will include two 2,000 L single-use cGMP manufacturing trains with process development and analytical testing labs on site. More than 200 technical jobs will be created.

Selexis, meanwhile, will see its Geneva footprint increase by 200% once the expanded site is operational in mid-2021. As well as new standard cell line development suites, the facility will include two separate cell culture suites to accommodate quarantined client-specific cell lines or client-dedicated cell line spaces.

Despite the joint facilities, KBI and Selexis remain – and will continue to be – separate companies under the JSR umbrella, Lowery said.

“JSR Life Sciences has multiple best-in-class affiliate companies, including KBI and Selexis, that are able to take a partner’s molecule from discovery all the way through commercial bulk drug substance manufacturing.

“KBI and Selexis will continue to operate independently. However, for the growing number of clients who do wish to use both companies for their drug development chain, the synergies for rapid cell line and process development through to manufacturing will be tremendous, which we see as a true advantage for our partners.”