Chugai to construct new antibody API manufacturing plant

Japanese drugmaker Chugai Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4519) is to construct a new plant for manufacturing antibody active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) capable of high-mix low-volume production for late-stage investigational drugs and initial commercial products at its Ukima Plant (Kita-ku, Tokyo) site.

Chugai has been continuously conducting new drug development aiming for the world’s highest level of quality and speed under the strategic alliance with Swiss pharma giant Roche (ROG: SIX), which owns around 60% of the company. In 2012, it established a research laboratory in Singapore, Chugai Pharmabody Research (CPR), focusing on drug discovery research applying its proprietary antibody engineering technologies. Furthermore, Chugai has adopted various measures to maximize the value of drug candidates arising from its research, such as the amendments to the out-licensing agreement of Chugai products to Roche and the establishment of the Translational Clinical Research Division.

$313 million investment