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WuXi AppTec triples peptide capacity

In response to growing demand worldwide, WuXi AppTec has commissioned two new peptide plants, one each at its Changzhou and Taixing sites in China. Both use digital operation systems with automated solvent delivery, in order to optimise production consistency, minimise human errors and reduce production cycle time.

This investment will increase the company’s total solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) reactor volume to 32,000 litres. It also marks the official launch of Taixing as WuXi AppTec’s fifth API production sites.

CordenPharma opens SPPS capacity

CordenPharma has begun commercial peptide production with additional capacity at upgraded facilities at its site in Colorado, which is the world’s largest solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) facility. About 60 new jobs have been created with more potentially to follow. 

The company had begun capital investments in early 2023 as part of a general worldwide expansion that also includes sterile injectables and LNP formulation and fill-finish capacity at other sites. New additions at the Colorado site include: 

WuXi peptide expansion

WuXi STA has added two 2,000 L reactors and a large-scale continuous purification system for peptide manufacturing at its Changzhou campus, bringing the total reactor volume for solid-phase peptide synthesis to over 10,000 L. It has also added a new system that features 300-DAC twin columns for continuous purification of kilogram-scale peptides and oligonucleotides, with faster turnaround times and lower solvent consumption.

Bachem automates SPPS

Bachem, the world market leader in peptides, has automated and digitalised one of its core business processes, solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). The company describes this as the start of its journey to Industry 4.0. The process is described in detail on the company website (www.bachem.com/news/bachem-journey-to-industry-4-0/).

Peptide partnership

CEM and AmbioPharm, two firms based in the Carolinas, have formed a partnership for the production of GMP peptides for the pharmaceutical industry. Under this, AmbioPharm will have exclusive rights to use CEM’s large-scale microwave technology for solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) at up to multi-kilogram quantities using proprietary scalable reactors.

Greening SPPS with Bachem

Bachem, the world’s largest peptides manufacturer, has announced some results of two studies it carried out with Novo Nordisk, seeking to make solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) greener.

SPPS requires large volumes of solvents and the current gold standards, because of their excellent solubilisation and stability properties for reagents and resin swelling capabilities, are N-dimethylformamide (DMF), dichloromethane and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. All now face restrictions under REACH because of their hazardous nature.

Further GMP expansion in peptides for CordenPharma

CordenPharma has announced the approval of a long-term expansion initiative “to further increase our flexibility, efficiency and ultimately, cost-effective production” at its solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) in Boulder, Colorado. This follows the installation of an extra-large 3,000L SPPS vessel at the site earlier this year in response to growing demand for peptide APIs.

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