Lonza, a global development and manufacturing partner to the pharmaceutical, biotech and nutraceutical markets, is investing in additional bioconjugation capabilities in Visp, Switzerland.
 
The expansion involves adding two 1,200L multipurpose manufacturing suites and related infrastructure to the current bioconjugation facility in Visp (CH) for both launch and commercial supply. This new capacity is projected to create around 200 jobs and is anticipated to be operational by 2028.
 
The new suites will occupy approximately 2,000m² and double Lonza’s multipurpose capacity for the launch and commercial supply of bioconjugates. The flexible multi-customer suites are designed to run the increasingly complex and variable processes needed to manufacture antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and other bioconjugates maturing through the drug pipeline.
 
The additional bioconjugation suites will support the growth of Lonza’s bioconjugation offering, spanning manufacturing for early phase clinical development, large-scale manufacture for launch and commercial supply, and will include drug product filling capability. This investment follows the recently announced customer-dedicated bioconjugation expansion in Visp (CH).
 
Christian Morello, Vice President and head of Bioconjugates, Lonza, commented: “We continue to see strong growth in the bioconjugates space as ADCs and other bioconjugated drugs increasingly progress towards commercialization. This investment in our multipurpose commercial bioconjugation capacity addresses the growing market demand, enables us to support the growth of our customers and offers a flexible and integrated service for manufacturing bioconjugates.”
 
As part of Lonza’s emission reduction strategy, the manufacturing suites follow sustainability design standards for new builds that include energy-efficient water heating systems, air supply and lighting solutions, leading to a significant decrease in carbon footprint compared to traditional design solutions. In addition, technology for improved cytotoxic liquid waste management will reduce waste by up to 90%.