Agarose Bead Technologies (ABT), a key player in the life science industry, plans a major expansion of its manufacturing capabilities, tripling its production capacity to meet the global demand for agarose resins.
With this significant investment, the company will be able to manufacture and deliver continuous supply of high-quality agarose resins to develop and implement cost-effective, robust, and scalable production processes supporting novel therapies worldwide including the mRNA based Covid-19 vaccines.
Facilitated by emerging, current, and future requirements of the bioprocess industry, ABT is tripling its current agarose resins production capacities. The expansion plan includes new facilities of more than 1000sqm, where new process analytical tools (PAT) will be implemented to improve process robustness, accelerate scale-up to commercial production and drive more efficient use of resources, making this location a pioneer manufacturing site worldwide. The installation of new Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliant large-capacity bioreactors, for the manufacture of functionalised and non-functionalised agarose resins, will enable ABT to ensure security of supply.
“Our culture of innovation and reputation for manufacturing excellence ensures our rapid growth to better serve the bioprocess industry,” highlights Carolina Egea, ABT’s general manager. “As the pharmaceutical industry becomes increasingly focused on large molecule biologics, vaccines and purification and immobilisation of biomolecules, ABT continues to increase its production capabilities to establish and ensure the global supply of raw material for the production processes of new emerging therapies.”
With the operational excellence achieved by adhering to continuous improvement of the internal processes, these new facilities will also have new quality control laboratories, as well as a filling and packaging space. In addition, ABT will also expand its three independent warehouses located in the United States and Spain, ensuring uninterrupted supply and availability of the product, regardless of any adverse circumstances that may arise.
“When completed in 2023 this pioneering production center in Bioseparations with continuous manufacturing capacity and improved scalability will facilitate time to market, while lowering capital and operating costs, meeting our commitment to satisfy global demand”, explains Carolina Egea.