Avantor upping single-use capacity by 30% in response to huge demand

Avantor says investments in facilities in North Carolina, Massachusetts, and The Netherlands will help feed the surge in demand for single-use equipment driven by a robust biologics sector and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sean DeFusco, general manager of single-use solutions/fluid handling at Avantor, told BioProcess Insider the firm will increase its single-use manufacturing footprint by 30% in the United States and Europe along with doubling cleanroom space.

“So far, we expanded our Morrisville, North Carolina single-use facility and we’re nearing completion of a cleanroom expansion at the Devens, Massachusetts operation by mid-year. By then, we’re also expecting to open our second European single-use facility in the Netherlands.

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“These additions to our single-use manufacturing are critical steps to making sure our customers get therapies to patients quickly.” Specific financials have not been divulged.

Among its many product offerings, Avantor makes single-use components for the production of biologics and vaccines, including solutions for aseptic fluid transfer, mixing systems, connectors/disconnectors, tube sets, and bag and bottle assemblies.

Such equipment has become a standard part of the biomanufacturing landscape. One recent report estimates around 85% of pre-commercial product manufacturing involves very substantial single-use systems-based manufacturing, while increasingly disposable equipment is being used in a commercial setting.

Such demand, meanwhile, has shot up further due to coronavirus with some reports of lead times up to 12 months on some products in the industry. Avantor would not comment on the lead time for their offerings.

“The industry’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has relied heavily on the integration of single-use products into biopharma production processes due to the nature of their efficacy and safety,” said DeFusco. However, “the investment will also support growing customer demand for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), novel cell and gene therapies for oncology and other diseases, as well as vaccines.”

His comments mirror those of Avantor’s CEO Michael Stubblefield, who told investors last week during the firm’s Q1 financials call that single-use demand had been growing “pre-pandemic north of 20%” and the pandemic is creating tailwinds on top of this. Single-use tech, which represents around 20% to 30% of Avantor’s total bioproduction platform, is expected to continue to see similar growth rates “through the midterm,” he added.