Benzinga | Aug 31, 2021 08:25AM EDT

Avantor Announces Investment In Hydration Capabilities To Address Growing Demand For Biologics

Avantor, Inc. (NYSE:AVTR), a leading global provider of mission-critical products and services to customers in the life sciences, advanced technologies and applied materials industries, announced today a multi-year investment in its global hydration capabilities. The Company has recently completed a major expansion of its facility in Gliwice, Poland, and has begun a multi-stage expansion of its facility in Aurora, Ohio, USA, that will be completed by mid-2022.

With the global demand for biologics increasing, the biopharmaceutical industry is seeking to reduce the cost and time to manufacture therapies, including monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and vaccines at scale. Outsourcing the preparation of certain materials, such as buffers, used to produce biologics can help biopharma manufacturers drive greater workflow efficiencies, eliminate unnecessary steps, and increase speed to market of new and existing therapies.

Avantor's expansion of its hydration solution will benefit the industry through this outsourcing model. Adding to the Company's existing WFI-quality water buffer manufacturing capabilities in place, the facility investments in Gliwice and Aurora will dramatically increase Avantor's capacity to support biopharma manufacturers around the world. Furthermore, the Gliwice site was designed with built-in flexibility to expand capacity as the business grows in years to come.

Ger Brophy, Executive Vice President of Biopharma Production at Avantor, said, "Buffer management is a key area where biopharma manufacturers can save time while reducing risk and costs. This recent investment in our global hydration offering allows us to strengthen our cGMP chemical manufacturing in Europe and the United States, and by partnering with Avantor, customers can outsource their buffer management and realize greater efficiencies, allowing them to focus more time on science and other process improvements to get therapies to patients more quickly and more safely."

Projects in Gliwice and Aurora include the installation of equipment that provides enhanced capabilities and capacity to formulate and fill WFI-based hydration solutions. These buffer solutions are used throughout the manufacturing process as well as in final drug formulations and must adhere to strict quality and regulatory standards that Avantor's products and solutions meet and exceed.

The Gliwice, Poland facility serves as Avantor's European manufacturing flagship, supporting customers across Europe and Asia. Upon completion, Aurora will offer expanded support to North America.