MilliporeSigma’s new large-scale mRNA drug substance manufacturing facility at the company’s headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany. Credit: MilliporeSigma/PRNewswire.

Merck’s Life Science business MilliporeSigma has opened two new messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) drug substance manufacturing facilities in Germany.

Developed with an investment of €28m ($29.57m), the new Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)-grade sites are located in Darmstadt and Hamburg and form part of the company’s ongoing investment of €1bn to advance mRNA technologies.

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The two facilities, which created 75 new jobs, offer mRNA services at all scales and applications, from pre-clinical to commercial.

The services consist of analytical development and biosafety testing for mRNA technologies.

The company’s Millipore contract testing, development and manufacturing organisation (CTDMO) services now consist of all crucial stages of mRNA technologies, lipids, lipid nanoparticles (LNP) and fill/finish, including key products and biosafety testing.

These services are part of the Life Science Services business division.

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The company also provides differentiated PCR-based technology for clinical as well as commercial mRNA manufacturing.

Merck Life Science business sector’s Life Science Services head Dirk Lange stated: “mRNA has emerged as the breakthrough technology of this century, providing great promise to not only treat, but potentially cure, a wide array of diseases such as cancer, heart disease and muscular dystrophy.

“We are now the first CTDMO to streamline the entire mRNA process for our clients.”

The company delivers mRNA, custom and portfolio lipids, LNP and fill/finish CTDMO services through its sites in Darmstadt and Hamburg, Schaffhausen, Switzerland, and Indianapolis, US.

Cell & Gene Therapy coverage on Pharmaceutical Technology is supported by Cytiva.

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