On 31-Aug, Genentech Singapore – which is wholly-owned by Roche, has announced that it will buy Lonza manufacturing facility in Singapore at a purchase price of US$290 million plus additional milestone payments of US$70 million.
Lonza Singapore is a cell culture biologic manufacturing facility and this will be merged with Genetech Singapore to further enhance its manufacturing capacities.
As part of the integration process, Roche & Genentech’s operations in Singapore will operate as Roche Singapore Technical Operations. The Singapore manufacturing facility 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. Avastin is used to treat lung, colon and breast cancers, and had annual global sales of 5.2 billion Swiss francs in 2008.
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.
Around 230 Lonza employees will join Genentech Singapore and the site will have a total of approximately 325 employees.
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