Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies has announced it is further increasing its contract process development and manufacturing capabilities through the expansion of its services in mammalian cell line development/process development, and the addition of a new multi-product cGMP facility at its Billingham, UK site.

The first phase has seen development of the company's cell line and process/analytical development facilities, including addition of the latest high throughput technologies to enable rapid transition of biologics from discovery to clinic.

Work has also commenced on a cGMP Cell Bank and 1000L biologics manufacturing facility on the Billingham site. This facility will be based upon single-use technology for both upstream and downstream operations.

The company announced the addition of a 1,000L single-use bioreactor at its Research Triangle Park, NC, USA facility in May 2011, supplementing its existing 2,000L stainless steel train at the cGMP manufacturing plant.

The new Cell Bank manufacturing facility in Billingham will be available from Q2, 2013 and the mammalian cell culture biologics manufacturing facility is expected to be validated and fully operational in the second half of 2013.