Lonza is developing a new biomanufacturing complex at its biopark in Visp, Switzerland.

Located in Valais, the biomanufacturing complex will comprise five new state-of-the-art manufacturing complexes to house the company’s Ibex^™ Solutions.

The project was announced in June 2017 and initially included construction of a biomanufacturing complex to house the Ibex^™ Solutions’ operations. Lonza invested CHF400m ($414.6m) in September 2018 for the development of additional manufacturing complexes and the launch of Ibex^™ Solutions offerings, Ibex^™ Design and Ibex^™ Develop.

Construction is expected to be completed in 2020. It will enable Lonza’s customers to scale-up or scale-out to different sites within the company’s network in the US, Europe or Asia.

Lonza Ibex biomanufacturing complex details

The Ibex^™ biomanufacturing complex will be developed on a 100,000m² brownfield surface within Lonza’s Visp site.

The new complex will offer modular biomanufacturing concepts to enable biopharma companies to manage product phases such as drug substance development and manufacturing. It will feature a technology-independent and highly flexible construction for various modes of engagement.

The biomanufacturing complex will also utilise the GS Gene Expression System^®, a proprietary platform technology offering fast development of mammalian cell lines with a high yield.

The first building of the biomanufacturing complex will be constructed in two phases and requires the installation of 17,000m² of facades. The building is expected to be completed in July 2019.

Details of Lonza’s Ibex Solutions

Lonza’s Ibex^™ Solutions include Ibex^™ Dedicate, Ibex^™ Design and Ibex^™ Develop solutions.

Ibex^™ Dedicate is an innovative customised supply solution that accelerates the development process before the product enters the market.

Ibex^™ Dedicate manages investment-associated risks and investment decisions. Its flexible operating models provide customised solutions for the production of mammalian and microbial vaccines, cell and gene therapy.

Ibex^™ Design and Ibex^™ Develop enable seamless operation at all stages of product development. Ibex^™ Design offers fixed-price product packaging and fast delivery options for preclinical and Phase I stages of drug development, as well as reserves a manufacturing slot for clinical resupply.

Ibex^™ Develop was designed for late-stage clinical trials requiring biologics licence application approval and marketing. The solution allows companies to build capacity within a short period of time to meet growing demand. It also eliminates the need for technology transfer and allows process optimisations, while improving operational efficiency.

The Ibex^™ Solutions use single-use bioreactors and advanced automation technologies to enhance efficiency.

Contractors involved

Felix Constructions received a contract for the development of the first building’s facade in March 2018.

The architect and general planner for the construction is Burckhardt+Partner, a company based in Switzerland.

Marketing commentary on Lonza’s Visp site

The Visp site is Lonza biggest site and hosts the majority of its manufacturing and research and development (R&D) operations.

Lonza manufactures a wide range of products at the site for the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, electronics and aerospace industries.

Lonza is also developing a biologics manufacturing facility at Visp in a joint venture with Sanofi. Construction on the project was initiated in September 2017 with an estimated investment of CHF$290m ($302.5m).