Chugai Pharma To Fund Over 20 Billion Yen in Bio DS Manufacturing

Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. announced its plan to invest in their Bio drug substance (DS) manufacturing facility "UK3" at Chugai Pharma Manufacturing Co., Ltd.'s Ukima Plant (Kita-ku, Tokyo). UK3 includes DS production for phase 3 clinical studies as well as early commercial production following initial introduction. This investment will increase UK3's production capacity while also contributing to the elimination of halogenated hydrocarbons, seeking to enhance Chugai's in-house supply base, which is critical for meeting the aims of the TOP I 2030 growth strategy.

Chugai has its strength in its proprietary antibody engineering technologies, and thus the majority of its in-house development projects and drugs are highly difficult to manufacture because of their complex structure. In order to achieve rapid and adequate supply in-house, Chugai has been aggressively making investments to build a consistent supply platform from clinical development to early commercial production, as per pharmabiz

Furthermore, under Chugai's TOP I 2030 growth strategy, development projects and medications originating from its research facilities are predicted to grow, necessitating additional in-house supply capacity as well as efficiency improvements.

This investment will roughly triple UK3's manufacturing capacity and boost the speed and flexibility of Bio DS supply by implementing breakthrough technologies that have advanced in recent years, resulting in faster launches of in-house products. Simultaneously, as an environmental action, Chugai will modernize various types of equipment to eradicate halogenated hydrocarbons and take steps to accomplish our Mid-Term Environmental Goals 2030 aim of zero halogenated hydrocarbons*. Both increasing production capacity and implementing environmental safeguards are critical components of Chugai's growth plan. Chugai hopes to decrease the period of manufacturing interruption due to construction by implementing these strategies concurrently.