Kemwell (Bangalore, Karnataka, India) plans to build a new biopharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Bangalore, India, in a strategic collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim (BI, Ingelheim, Germany), according to a Kemwell press release. The companies broke ground for the new facility this week. The pact reflects Western companies’ interest in accessing lower cost production in Asia and Asian contract manufacturing organizations' (CMOs) interest in building their toolboxes in contract biologics manufacturing.

The 15,000-m² facility will be designed for process development, fermentation, purification, and formulation of biologics for early-phase preclinical and clinical studies. The facility will have capabilities for drug-substance manufacturing under current good manufacturing practices, sterile fill–finish of drug products, and process development to support the production of protein therapeutics from mammalian-cell culture or microbial fermentation. Kemwell’s Bangalore site currently has facilities for manufacturing tablets, semisolids, and liquids and pharmaceutical development services.

”Through the partnership with Kemwell Biologics, Boehringer Ingelheim will strengthen its presence for biologic services in Asia, providing state-of-the-art technologies for economic manufacturing of innovative, high-quality biopharmaceuticals,” said Rolf G. Werner, corporate senior vice-president of BI’s corporate division for biopharmaceuticals. BI produces biopharmaceuticals in-house for its own pharmaceutical products and as part of its contract-manufacturing business. 

Under the pact, Kemwell will also provide in-house expertise in toxicology and clinical development and partner with Indian contract research organizations to manage toxicology and clinical studies in India. Boehringer Ingelheim is contributing access to its Bi Hex cell-line development process and large-scale commercial production at BI facilities in Europe.

Kemwell, which has facilities in India and Sweden, formed a strategic alliance with the CMO  Patheon (Toronto) earlier this year.