Yposkesi $65m expansion doubles viral vector footprint

With the capacity to produce 75 batches per year, Yposkesi says it is now the largest viral vector manufacturer in France, and among the top three in Europe.

First announced in June 2021, the expansion at Yposkesi’s site in Corbeil-Essonnes, France – about 40 km south of Paris – is complete, with an inauguration ceremony taking place last week.

The €60 million ($65 million) build has added a 50,000 square-foot plant at the site, doubling the contract development and manufacturing organization’s (CDMO’s) viral vector manufacturing footprint to service the gene therapy industry. The plant, which will offer both Adeno Associated Virus (AAV) and Lentiviral Vector (LV) platforms when operational in 2024, is designed with six upstream process and two downstream process clean rooms, and more than triples Yposkesi’s bioreactor capacity from 2,000 L to 7,000 L.

Image c/o Yposkesi

“We have increased our capacity to produce 75 batches per year, which positions Yposkesi as the largest viral vector manufacturer in France, and among the top three in Europe,” Louis-Marie Montgrand, COO at Yposkesi, told this publication.

CEO Alain Lamproye added “more than 1,000 cell and gene therapies currently in development and 50-75 therapies expected to be approved in the US by 2030” drove the need for the extra manufacturing capacity.

He also acknowledged the 70% share of Yposkesi taken by Korean investment firm SK Holdings in 2021 as a key driver in the expansion.

“This investment benefited Yposkesi in many ways: firstly, it provided the resources to build this new biomanufacturing plant, which has doubled our production surface; optimized operations with state-of-the-art biomanufacturing practices, enabling us to provide more accessible and cost-effective drug substances and drug products.”

Viral vector production is viewed as a high-growth area, Joerg Ahlgrimm, CEO of SK pharmteco, added, citing SK’s investment in the Center for Breakthrough Medicines (CBM) months after taking the Yposkesi stake.

“CBM and Yposkesi have aligned their capabilities to provide customers an end-to-end offering through a simplified customer interface,” he told us. “We plan to have at least 54 cell and gene therapy (CGT) suites globally by 2026.”