Biovian announces over €50 million investment in manufacturing facility in Turku, Finland

Biovian, a leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in biopharmaceuticals, has announced a major investment of over €50 million to expand its manufacturing facility in Turku, Finland.

This investment reflects Biovian’s commitment to meeting the growing demand for innovative biologics and gene therapies.

The new facility will have an area of 6,400sq m (69,000sq ft), and house cutting-edge equipment and advanced technologies to support the development, manufacturing, and testing of ATMP (Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products), such as adenoviral and AAV (adeno-associated viral) therapies. It will also feature dedicated Class A to D cleanroom areas for bulk drug substances as well as final drug product manufacture.

The additional space complements Biovian’s existing manufacturing facilities in the area and will enable Biovian to undertake larger-scale viral vector as well as microbial protein projects and concurrent manufacturing campaigns by increasing overall production capacity and flexibility.

Biovian has been at the forefront of biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing for two decades. The company specializes in the production of biologics, gene therapies, and vaccines, working with GMP E. coli recombinant proteins and viral vectors such as AAV and adenovirus. The investment will enable Biovian to offer end-to-end services, from early-stage development to commercial-scale manufacturing, serving the diverse needs of its biopharmaceutical customers.

Antti Nieminen, CEO of Biovian, said: “The new manufacturing facility will not only strengthen Biovian’s position as a key player in the CDMO sector, but also contribute to the growth of the biopharmaceutical industry in Finland and most of all provide vital therapies to patients suffering from today’s untreatable diseases.

“Biovian aims to facilitate swift drug development and delivery, reducing time-to-market for its customers, all while creating an enjoyable experience. The new manufacturing facility will increase viral vector capacity, but it will also increase our capacity and flexibility in microbial protein. When the new site is up and running, our existing capacity will be transformed to new microbial protein suites. Thus, both microbial and viral vector customers will benefit from this expansion.”

The expansion project is expected to be completed in December 2024, with the new facility fully operational by 2025.

The investment is expected to create 100 job opportunities in the region, adding to its already appr. 200 strong team.

Pierre Remy, Chairman of the Board, said: “We are very excited for the opportunities this new world-class facility will bring to Biovian. This significant milestone is built on years of viral vector expertise and demonstrates the commitment of Biovian to support its clients, at the highest possible standard, from early phase to commercial manufacturing.”

Biovian supports customers through all clinical phases up till commercial validation batches, including research and master cell banking, plasmids, proteins, process & analytical development, manufacture, fill/finish, and final release for clinical trials. The CDMO is EMA certified, FDA inspected and has manufactured >400 GMP clinical batches for customers worldwide.