BioProcess Insider Interview: Jon Gunther, Just-Evotec Biologics

Jon Gunther,Head of Business Development, Just–Evotec Biologics; and Dan Stanton,Co-founder and Editor, BioProcess Insider.

Moderator: Dan Stanton, Co-founder and Editor, BioProcess Insider.

Featuring: Jon Gunther,Head of Business Development, Just–Evotec Biologics.

Evotec’s presence in the biopharmaceutical industry grew significantly with its May 2019 acquisition of Just Biotherapeutics. The combined company now provides integrated research and development (R&D) services and good manufacturing practice (GMP)-grade production processes for antibody (Ab) therapeutics. Just–Evotec already has established a manufacturing facility in Redmond, WA, and has initiated construction of a sister site in Toulouse, France, which should come online in 2024.

Both sites leverage proprietary J.POD flexible-manufacturing technology to “miniaturize” Ab production processes. Continuous bioprocessing also plays a critical role in operations. Because perfusion unit operations can operate at much smaller operating volumes but with substantially higher productivities than would a traditional fed-batch [culture],” designing facilities around perfusion operations enabled his company to reduce hold-tank requirements for material awaiting downstream purification. So Just–Evotec has reduced its cleanroom requirements and associated environmental monitoring needs considerably, and doing so has helped to decrease cost of goods (CoG).

Gunther said that Just–Evotec’s approach is an ideal choice for manufacturing not only high-potency Ab products for targeted patient populations, but also “blockbuster” therapies for multiple indications. Several partners have expressed interest in using the platform to produce large-dose biologics for neurological conditions, for instance. Gunther highlighted the diversity of his company’s collaborations, pointing to its close ties with large pharmaceutical developers, small biotechnology companies, and nonprofit organizations. Just–Evotec also has announced arrangements with the US Department of Defense to manufacture Ab therapies for COVID-19.

The company is expanding its offerings through the recent acquisition of Rigenerand, an Italian manufacturer of cell therapies and supplier of three-dimensional bioreactors. Gunther explained that Just and Rigenerand focus on different modalities but still have multiple synergies and share several enabling technologies.

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