Symbiosis adds QC labs to UK facility

Through a $1.25 million investment, Symbiosis Pharmaceutical Services has added a 3,600 square-foot bioanalytic plant to its site at the Stirling Innovation Park in Scotland, UK. 

The facility, approved by the UK regulatory agency, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), will support testing of small molecules, biologics, and advanced therapies providing quality control. 

According to the firm, the facility accommodates laboratories dedicated to microbiology and analytical testing capabilities, with sterility testing to supplement sub-contracted tests, and temperature and humidity-controlled storage capabilities. 

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“The aim of the QC testing lab launch in the first instance is to facilitate the demand for having this service in-house for our customers. By internalizing this service, we have greater control over timelines and scheduling flexibility which is one of the company’s key competitive differentiators and allows for greater control,” a spokesperson for Symbiosis told BioProcess Insider. 

Through this facility, Symbiosis, which specializes in sterile fill-finish manufacture of drug product for clinical trials and commercial supplies, aims to reduce overall drug development time, reducing regulatory risk and accelerating timelines for therapies to reach patients. 

“During the planning phase, we were conscious that we are now participating in a carbon zero scheme that aims to reduce our carbon footprint. Efforts were made to reduce and minimize our carbon footprint where possible, including the sourcing of low-energy equipment such as PIR lighting,” the spokesperson said. 

According to the firm, the facility, which took 15 months to complete, is opening new roles as this service comes online and develops, further creating employment opportunities in the future. 

In 2019, the contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) invested $1.8 million amping the firm’s aseptic capacity by 25%. This expansion was part-funded by an Innovate UK grant from the UK Government to strengthen the UK’s viral vector biopharmaceutical drug development and manufacturing supply chain.