Sartorius to expand recently acquired cell line business, Cellca

The firm – which was formed when Sartorius Stedim Biotech SA (SSB) acquired cell line and process development contractor Cellca GmbH in 2015 – said the lab will provide room for expansion and increase its access to nearby academic research institutions.

Managing Director Hugo de Wit said: “Our new site’s proximity to universities and research institutes in Ulm’s Scientific Park offers an excellent environment to promote our growing business for which we are also seeking additional highly qualified staff.”​

At present Sartorius Stedim Cellca, which employs 80 people, is based at a rented facility in neighbouring Laupheim.

Cell lines

News of the new lab comes a week​ after Sartorius Stedim Cellca teamed up with cell line developer Edinburgh, Scotland-based Synpromics.

The accord will use the latter’s PromPT promoter platform to increase stability and reduce the lead time for Sartorius Stedim Cellca’s CHO expression platform.

The idea is that more robust and effective cell lines will be attractive to biopharmaceutical firms interested in reducing manufacturing costs.