Merck, a science and technology company, has initiated commercial production of its first Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)-compliant manufacturing line for cell culture media (CCM) at Nantong site in China.
Germany-based Merck has invested around €6.6m at its Life Science Center in Nantong.
The funding was intended to meet the local need for customised CCM essential in biopharmaceuticals, vaccines, and cutting-edge therapeutics.
The launch of the local production line allows Chinese customers to benefit from Merck’s custom CCM products and services.
Using in-house formulation expertise, Merck develops custom CCM tailored to customers’ processes, delivering solutions that improve process consistency and efficiency.
Merck China life science business sector managing director Roy Wu said: “This investment further expands Merck’s footprint and capabilities in China, showcasing our commitment to the development of the local biopharma industry.
“The new cell culture media manufacturing line is a positive proof of our commitment to improve patient care by leveraging our innovative spirit and global network of expertise.”
Using media components sourced from qualified suppliers, the GMP facility in Nantong facilitates scaling from pilot to commercial-scale cell culture production, backed by comprehensive regulatory documentation.
The site provides tailor-made dry powder CCM products and customised technical and operational support to aid local biopharmaceutical manufacturers in streamlining their processes and accelerating time to market.
In addition, the local manufacturing capability is anticipated to reduce product lead times significantly, the German drugmaker added.
Merck delivers a range of solutions to both local and global biopharmaceutical customers.
Its Life Science division offers a diverse portfolio encompassing cell lines, bioreactors, filters, resins, chromatographic tools, pharmaceutical raw materials, and excipients.
These end-to-end process solutions are crafted to support biopharmaceutical manufacturers across all stages, from initial process development through to scale-up.
Last year, the science and technology company invested €23m to expand CCM production at its site in Lenexa, Kansas, US.
