The French laboratory Sanofi announced on Friday a capacity investment of 40 million euros on its Lyon Gerland bioproduction site, formerly Sanofi Genzyme. The largest part of the investment, 25 million euros, concerns an increase in capacity of around 30% for Thymuglubine, an anti-lymphocyte serum – to prevent rejection of organ transplants – which helps around 70,000 patients per year. year worldwide, and which Sanofi Gerland has been producing since 2013.
«The growth of this market is 4% per year. The number of transplants is increasing throughout the world, with China, Brazil and India in the lead. We are the only factory to produce it in the world», underlines Béatrice Corpet, director of the site, during a press visit on November 15.
To increase capacity without expanding the factory spread over three levels of clean rooms, Sanofi has developed new manufacturing processes thanks to its development and industrialization team which employs around thirty technicians and engineers. New equipment for purifying assets has been developed. “We modified the supply of the resin that retains the desired proteins during the chromatography step», adds Béatrice Corpet
Relocation of an American drug
The other part of the investment, 15 million euros, concerns a project announced in May 2024 during the last Choose France summit. Sanofi then planned an investment of 10 million euros for the relocation of TZield, a drug against type 1 diabetes acquired through the takeover of the Provention Bio laboratory.
Authorized in the United States, where it is manufactured, this treatment is in the process of obtaining Marketing Authorization (MA) in Europe. The secondary stages are planned on the Sanofi platform in Frankfurt. At this stage, subcontracted production in the United States would be maintained. “This drug for diabetes caused by genetic factors is part of our strategy to become a world leader in immunotherapies.», says Charles Wolf, France director of Sanofi.
To accommodate it, the factory is preparing a production line “agile and modular», summarizes Béatrice Corpet. In other words, this line can accommodate cell culture reactors and interchangeable active ingredient purification tools. The first industrial batches are expected in 2025, with marketing expected from 2027.
The Sanofi site in the Gerland district, also called the Biodistrict, is the 3rd Lyon site of the French giant, which relies on its Marcy L’Etoile site and the new Modulus vaccine factory in Neuville-sur-Saône, inaugurated in September by President Emmanuel Macron. Sanofi Gerland employs 370 people.
Source: www.usinenouvelle.com
