Wacker ups San Diego plant capacity

As part of its strategy for its biosolutions life sciences business, contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) Wacker Biotech is expanding its messenger RNA (mRNA) and plasmid DNA (pDNA) production capacity for the advanced therapy sector in the US.

According to the firm, the decision to expand its capacity has been driven by the increased demand for CDMOs to offer customers various components for nucleic acid-based gene therapies. The CDMO's San Diego facility offers several microbial fermentations lines with a capacity of up to 650 L for the production and purification of pDNA and other pharmaceutical proteins and downstream processing steps.

“We have strong local expertise in the production of pharmaceutical proteins and benefit from the many years of experience of the global Wacker Biotech team. Our site is ideally located in one of the most important biotech hubs, allowing us to serve the local and broader US market but also worldwide,” said Philippe Cronet, general manager of Wacker Biotech.

Specific details of the expansion have not been disclosed, including the financial details. However, Wacker said the expansion will enable the firm to meet the demands of research and clinical development, as well as continuing “investing in its biopharma business.”

In July 2022, Wacker broke ground on its $102 million mRNA site in Halle, Germany, which it said will more than triple its manufacturing capacity. In addition to the four messenger mRNA production lines, the building will also include quality control laboratories, storage areas, and office space.