All articles tagged with #biomanufacturing
Johnson & Johnson announced more than a $1 billion investment to build a next-generation cell-therapy manufacturing facility in Lower Gwynedd, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, expanding U.S. manufacturing capacity, creating 500+ biomanufacturing jobs and up to 4,000 construction roles, as part of a broader $55 billion U.S. investment through 2029 to advance cancer, immune-mediated, and neurological therapies.
The emergence of new weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy has sparked a race among pharmaceutical companies to expand biomanufacturing capacity in anticipation of soaring demand. The potential profitability of these drugs has driven stock prices and market value, with companies like Novo Nordisk making significant investments in manufacturing infrastructure. Analysts predict that the obesity drug market will continue to grow, especially once oral pill forms become available, and this expansion may lead to increased demand for biomanufacturing facilities and R&D space for startups.
The Kansas City area has been chosen by the Biden administration as one of 31 technology hubs in the United States, with the aim of promoting innovation and job creation. The Kansas City Inclusive Biologics and Biomanufacturing Tech Hub (KC BioHub) will focus on the development and manufacturing of vaccines and related technologies. Led by BioNexus KC, the nonprofit organization will have the opportunity to receive up to $75 million in federal funding, attract additional investments, and expand the development of cutting-edge medicines and vaccines. The tech hubs program was established through bipartisan legislation, allocating $10 billion over five years.
Scientists at MIT have developed a magnetic hydrogel "sandwich" that controls the orientation of muscle cells in a lab dish, mimicking the alignment found in natural muscles. By changing the position of magnets, the muscle cells aligned into fibers that contracted in synchrony. This breakthrough could lead to the development of lab-grown tissues for grafting into people with damaged muscles or coating robots with human-like senses and flexible motor control. The system also sheds light on muscle cells' ability to adapt, align, and regenerate.
Researchers have developed a new method of delivering antioxidants to stem cells that can prevent senescence, a process of cellular aging. The method utilizes polymer-stabilized crystals created through microfluidics, which ensures uniform size and dosage, minimizing variation in drug release between cells. The crystals dissolve at a slower rate, resulting in a uniform and extended release of the drug, increasing its effectiveness. This approach could improve the reproducibility of stem cell cultures and enhance the production of biomolecules for therapeutic use. The method has potential applications in biomanufacturing and could be used to deliver other drugs directly into target tissues.
Scientists at the University of Manchester have proposed using a new material called "StarCrete" made from potato starch, extra-terrestrial dust, and a pinch of salt to build affordable and easy-to-build Martian habitats in the future. The material is twice as strong as regular concrete and doesn't require blood or urine as a binding agent. The researchers say that surplus starch produced as food for inhabitants could be used for construction.
Bristol Myers Squibb's project to study the crystallization of biotherapeutic compounds in microgravity is one of about 20 research projects on board SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft. The project aims to obtain crystals that have greater "uniformity," which can lead to a more efficient manufacturing process for therapeutics. The unique environment of space offers complete absence of sedimentation and convection, which is not available on Earth. BMS hopes to apply its learnings to broader modalities.