Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Lonza Biologics completes expansion

By Mass High Tech Staff

Lonza Biologics Inc. of Portsmouth, N.H., a subsidiary of the Switzerland-based Lonza Group Ltd., which manufactures custom monoclonal antibodies on a contract basis, has completed a $300 million, 330,000-square-foot expansion, according to the company.

The expansion is the largest investment in the company’s history. The company had initially planned to use the space to increase its bioreactor capacity up to 93,000 liters, and hike its workforce up from 650 to 1,000 employees. A spokesperson said that now, although the employee base at the site continues to grow, those hires are coming at a slower rate than previously anticipated. The company said growth and investment at the site has been slower than expected, and there have been gains in operational efficiencies.  

Lonza continues to gain customers, including a pipeline deal with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., and it plans to continue conceptual design work at its Portsmouth site.

Lonza moved to Portsmouth in 1996 through its acquisition of Celltech Biologics Plc, obtaining a 56,000-square-foot space at Pease International Tradeport. It completed a 300,000-square-foot expansion with three added 20,000-liter bioreactors in 2004, and in 2006 said it would expand at the site again.