Lonza is expanding its biomanufacturing capabilities through the acquisition of Houston, Texas-based CMO Vivante GMP Solutions, which specializes in viral-based GMP production services. Lonza claims the acquisition will allow it to broaden its biologics custom services for growing markets in the fields of viral vaccines and gene therapy. Vivante will essentially become Lonza’s viral-based therapeutics business.
Vivante offers services for a range of product types including adenoviral vectors, AAV vectors, and lentiviral vectors. The firm's activities span cell-line optimization and vector development, to process development and cGMP manufacturing, and product release testing from preclinical through to Phase III clinical batches.
The firms claim that Vivante’s expertise in preclinical to late-stage supply of viral vector-based products will complement Lonza’s own cellular and gene-therapy process development and manufacturing capabilities. Conversely, Lonza’s expertise in expression technologies and large-scale manufacturing will enhance Vivante’s viral vaccine production services, the firms point out.
“Lonza has recently made the strategic decision of entering the viral vaccines and viral vector markets, and Vivante will serve as the platform upon which this strategy will be launched,” writes J. David Enloe Jr., Vivante’s founder, president ,and CEO, in a letter to the firm’s shareholders. Enloe has taken on the role of Lonza’s head of viral-based therapeutics at the Houston site.