Just – Evotec Biologics, the biologics segment of Evotec, celebrated the grand opening of its J.POD® biologics development and manufacturing facility located on Evotec’s Campus Curie in Toulouse, France. The facility, the second of its kind (the first opened in Redmond, WA, three years ago), and the first in Europe, utilizes the company’s J.POD technology to provide essential clinical and commercial biologics manufacturing capacity, according to Christian Wojczewski, PhD, CEO of Evotec.
“J.POD is a bioprocessing facility by Just – Evotec Biologics that uses advanced technology to fulfill its mission of making biotherapeutics more accessible worldwide,” he said, adding that biologics offer a potent therapeutic solution applicable to various indications.
However, continued the CEO, conventional fed-batch manufacturing poses significant hurdles, particularly during the transition from clinical to commercial scale. The J.POD technology, with its modular continuous manufacturing approach, enables highly intensified cGMP production of biologics at flexible quantities, effectively mitigating scaleup risks and reducing manufacturing costs, explained Wojczewski.
Built in 18 months as a green field project, the approximately 15,000 m2 facility features continuous manufacturing technologies in a small, simple facility design built in a significantly shorter construction time compared to conventional biologics manufacturing that can deliver up to two metric tons of biotherapeutics, noted an Evotec spokesperson. The site includes dedicated quality control and process development labs for both clinical and commercial products, along with a warehouse and collaborative office spaces.
Reflecting a growing trend in the biomanufacturing business, the facility is designed with enhanced environmental sustainability, resulting in reduced water, electricity, and chemical usage compared to conventional facilities.
