SAFC announces $12-million expansion to Carlsbad facility

SAFC Pharma has completed a $12-million expansion to its contract manufacturing facility in Carlsbad (CA, USA), which will expand the company’s services for its later phase and commercial clients. The expansion includes two fully segregated state-of-the-art viral product manufacturing suites that will expand the company’s biologics, viral vaccines and gene therapy manufacturing to commercial-scale quantities. Additionally, the expansion includes dedicated cell expansion, bioreactor production, purification and clean room suites.

“We are delighted to announce this expansion of our capabilities at our Carlsbad facility, particularly when the economic environment has been so challenging,” David Feldker, Vice President of SAFC Pharma, said in a press statement .

He added that SAFC Pharma expects to see a “great deal of value” in the biologics and viral manufacturing marketplace in the next 3-5 years. This will be generated by two main types of customers. “Those with later clinical phase opportunities, but without any in-house manufacturing capability; and those with later clinical phase opportunities that have some manufacturing capabilities, but may be seeking an additional ‘safety net’ or wish to avoid additional capital expansion until their technology and drug has proven itself,” Feldker explained. “By adding and extending our capabilities at Carlsbad, we are providing customers with an attractive, clear pathway that adds value and supports secure, successful product launches.”

cGMP manufacturing operations are expected to commence before the end of this year.

www.safcpharma.com