Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma, a leading provider of biopharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing services, has announced the expansion of small molecule manufacturing capabilities with the addition of a new production facility Visakhapatnam, India. Construction of the 8,500 square meter facility began at the end of July 2020 and is expected to be completed mid-2022.
Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services is a fully integrated contract development and manufacturing organization with sites in Belgium, United States, Japan, and India, providing comprehensive development, cGMP manufacturing, and aseptic fill-finished services for small and large molecule APIs and intermediates. Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services offers a broad range of innovative platforms and capabilities for pre-clinical and pilot programs to commercial quantities, including Corynex protein expression technology, oligonucleotide synthesis, antibody-drug conjugations (ADC), high potency APIs (HPAPI), biocatalysis, continuous flow manufacturing and more.
To meet the current and future needs of customers, the new small molecule manufacturing facility doubles the production capacity at the site to 310 m3 for active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and intermediates and has dedicated equipment to manage OEB 4 high potency ingredients. Further, the site has completed renovations on existing laboratory space to support additional R&D activities. It is estimated that the expansion will create at least 60 new jobs at the site.
The US FDA approved Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services India manufacturing site, which was designed, constructed and is managed based on the Aji Bio-Pharma Belgian sites’ GMP operating standards and quality systems, has successfully supported a number of the world’s leading biopharmaceutical companies since its formation in 2011 and continues to win awards for sustainability and quality standards.
“We are very excited to be investing in this additional production capacity to continue delivering high quality, cost-effective small molecule manufacturing services for our customers,” said KVV Raju, head of Site Operations and chief executive officer, Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma India. “This expansion exemplifies our commitment to our vision statement of being a leading, trusted, innovative partner to our clients and our people.”
“The increased manufacturing capacity at Aji Bio-Pharma India offers a significant advantage for our small molecule customers, who now have a variety of options to meet their manufacturing needs,” said Peter Stuyck, senior vice president and head of European Operations, Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services. “This expansion optimizes capacity across all locations and further enhances Aji Bio-Pharma’s commitment in being a leading global and quality-driven CDMO with comprehensive service offerings.”
