Roche and Lonza have announced that Genentech Singapore, a wholly-owned member of the Roche Group, elected to exercise an option to purchase from Lonza its cell culture biologic manufacturing facility in Singapore. The facility, which is mechanically complete, will be merged with Genentech Singapore’s existing biologic manufacturing facility.
As part of the integration between Roche’s and Genentech’s combined technical operations, the biotechnology production facilities in Singapore currently operating under the Genentech name will later this year operate under the name of Roche Singapore Technical Operations. Lonza will continue to build up its own large-scale mammalian manufacturing plant in Singapore, which will come on-stream in 2011.
The Singapore manufacturing facility is acquired for a purchase price of $290 mio plus additional milestone payments of $70 mio. It is expected to produce Avastin (bevacizumab) bulk drug substance, has 80,000 liters of fermentation capacity and is located on approximately 10 acres with an option for up to 20 additional acres. Genentech Singapore’s existing 1,000-liter E.coli manufacturing facility is expected to receive FDA licensure for bulk drug production of Lucentis (ranibizumab) injection in 2010. The combined Singapore operations will play a key role in Roche’s global manufacturing network.
Jim Miller, vice president and general manager, Genentech Singapore. We are very pleased to exercise our option to purchase from Lonza the biologic manufacturing facility that Lonza built and to combine it with our current production plant in Singapore. As part of our globally integrated Genentech and Roche manufacturing network, this world-class operation in Singapore will play a major role in bringing important medicines to the patients who need them.
Lonza has proven to be a valuable partner in our efforts to build our manufacturing capacity and we greatly appreciate the achievements of the many Lonza and Genentech teams who have made this project a success, in addition to the continued support of the Singapore Economic Development Board. We welcome our new Lonza colleagues to the Roche Group and look forward to their contributions to our continued success in Singapore.