Vacaville, Calif. is home to a burgeoning biotech hub. And there’s more to Vacaville’s biomanufacturing industry than Genentech’s presence there. “Genentech is just one of the biotech companies to open in Vacaville,” said Don Burrus, the city’s director of economic development services. “We’ve had biomanufacturers here for almost 30 years.” Genentech set up shop in…
Biovac to make and distribute Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Africa
Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and BioNTech (NSDQ:BNTX) today announced an agreement with Biovac to manufacture the companies’ COVID-19 vaccine for distribution in Africa. Cape Town, South Africa-based Biovac will perform manufacturing and distribution activities within Pfizer and BioNTech’s global COVID-19 vaccine supply chain and manufacturing network to aid in distribution within the African Union, according to a…
BioNTech to buy Kite’s neoantigen TCR cell therapy R&D platform and Maryland plant
BioNTech (NSDQ:BNTX) announced today that it acquired Kite’s solid tumor neoantigen T cell receptor (TCR) platform and its facility in Maryland. Mainz, Germany-based BioNTech said in a news release that the acquired clinical manufacturing facility in Gaithersburg, Md., will provide production capacity in support of U.S. clinical trials while complementing the company’s existing cell therapy…
Emergent BioSolutions facing a shareholder lawsuits
The Baltimore-based company Emergent BioSolutions (NYSE:EBS) is the subject of at least four lawsuits asking for refunds and pushing for change in the company’s executive ranks. Some of the lawsuits targeting Emergent accuse the company of securities fraud and insider trading. Emergent has denied the allegations. “Our executives strictly follow the law and our own…
PurMinds invests in psychedelic drug company IMIO Life
Privately-held PurMinds BioPharma (Burlington, Ontario, Canada), which specializes in developing therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, has completed a strategic equity investment in IMIO Life Ltd., a subsidiary of Tel Aviv–based Nextage Therapeutics Ltd. (TASE:NXTG). While IMIO Life Ltd. is focused on developing psychedelic-based therapeutics, PurMinds notes that its collaboration with the company will focus on optimizing…
A closer look at the Wyzo high-speed pick-and-place sidebot
The robotics firm Wyzo (Ecublens, Switzerland) recently debuted a novel pick-and-place sidebot, which is suitable for various uses, including lightweight applications within pharmaceutical facilities. Pharmaceutical Processing World recently profiled the robot, which can support up to 80 picks per minute. To learn more about the robot, we reached out to Wyzo CEO Frank Souyris, who describes…
Gene therapy specialist Viralgen opens new facility in Spain’s Basque Country
San Sebastián, Spain–headquartered Viralgen, has opened a new factory in Basque Country in northern Spain. The company focuses on manufacturing adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors, which are used in gene therapy and some vaccines. Since 2018, Viralgen has offered AAV manufacturing for customers working in preclinical through Phase 2 development programs. The company has licensed its…
Woodstock Sterile Solutions hires first CFO
Woodstock, Ill.–based Woodstock Sterile Solutions has installed its first chief financial officer, Courtney Sanen. The blow-fill-seal contract development and manufacturing organization continues to build out its executive roster, hiring its first chief commercial officer, Bill Hartzel, in April. Hartzel was a former executive at Catalent Pharma Solutions. “Woodstock Sterile Solutions is poised for growth over…
Moderna to expand its Massachusetts manufacturing capabilities
Cambridge, Mass.–headquartered Moderna (NSDQ:MRNA) will hire at least 155 new manufacturing employees for manufacturing jobs at its plant in Norwood, Mass. A $2.33 million tax incentive from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center helped bankroll the expansion. The investment will enable the company to double the size of its manufacturing site in Norwood, Mass., which became operational in 2018. With…
U.S. government buys 200M more doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine
Moderna (NSDQ:MRNA) announced today that the U.S. government purchased an additional 200 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine. The government’s purchase agreement with Moderna also includes the option to purchase other COVID-19 vaccine candidates to come out of the company’s pipeline. Cambridge, Mass.-based Moderna said in a news release that the purchase brings the U.S.…