The Large Scale Cell Culture (LSCC) facility is one of the most advanced of its kind, according to the company, with a high degree of digitalization and automation through smart technologies and artificial intelligence applications.
Boehringer Ingelheim has invested €700m ($810m) in the facility, which has created 500 new jobs.
Capabilities for different molecule formats
The facility adds 185,000 liters of biopharmaceutical production capacity to Boehringer Ingelheim’s global network, representing an additional 30% in mammalian large scale capacity.
A multi-product setup allows for the production of a large variety of molecule formats, with the plant designed to allow changeovers from one product to another within a short space of time (or simultaneous production of different products).
The site can supply a variety of molecule formats including monoclonal antibodies, enzymes, cytokines, and other recombinant proteins. It will cater for Boehringer Ingelheim’s own product portfolio as well as offering third-party contract manufacturing.
Highly complex biopharmaceutical molecules play a significant role in the treatment of chronic and other severe diseases, notes the company.
“The potential of biopharmaceuticals for future innovative treatments is growing fast. We are committed to investing in the development of additional production platforms for biologics based on the latest technologies,” said Hubertus von Baumbach, chairman of the Board of Managing Directors.
"There are still many patients today whose diseases cannot yet be adequately treated. That is why we are putting every effort into advancing the science that will enable us to achieve the next medical breakthrough.”
Boehringer Ingelheim’s biopharmaceutical network operates globally four manufacturing sites in Asia, Europe and the US: with its other sites in Biberach, Germany; Fremont, US; and Shanghai, China.