Lonza acquires viral vaccine and vector manufacturer Vivante GMP Solutions

Switzerland's active pharmaceutical ingredients and specialty chemicals firm Lonza (LONN.VX) says it has acquired closely-held US firm Vivante GMP Solutions, in order to broaden its biologics custom service offering for the growing viral vaccine and gene therapy markets. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Based in Houston, Texas, Vivante is a custom manufacturing organization dedicated to producing Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) viral-based therapeutics. The company's viral-vaccine production services will be enhanced by Lonza's established expertise in expression technologies and large-scale manufacturing platforms. Additionally, Vivante's experience with preclinical through late-stage supply of viral vector-based products will compliment Lonza's growing cellular and gene therapy process development and manufacturing capabilities.

Lonza's deals with HGS/GSK and California Stem Cell

Most recently, Human Genome Sciences entered into an agreement with Lonza for the future commercial supply of Benlysta (belimumab), in development with UK drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline, which is currently under regulatory review in the USA and Europe as a potential new treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE; The Pharma Letter July 13). It also has an exclusive licensing and supply agreements with California Stem Cell to make novel pluripotent stem cell products readily available to researchers worldwide (TPL June 7).