DSM Pharmaceutical Products, the custom manufacturing and technology business of Royal DSM, has signed a commercial agreement for contract manufacturing services using its proprietary XD high cell density process technology with a major pharma company.

"We are proud to announce that a major pharma company has chosen DSM's services and technology for three of their leading antibody pipeline projects for different indications," said Karen King, president of DSM Biologics. "We will apply our XD technology in combination with our technology portfolio, and manufacture from our Groningen, The Netherlands, and Brisbane, Australia facilities."  

XD technology is a highly intensified cell culture process with titer achievement 5-to-15 times higher compared to current standard biomanufacturing processes. It is widely applicable for multiple products including proteins, fusion proteins and antibodies, and has been successfully employed across the full spectrum of mammalian cell systems.

DSM will complete the process development and commercial manufacturing for the products. These projects will be performed at the R&D and manufacturing site in Groningen and at new operations in Brisbane. The commercial demand will be met from Brisbane on a 500-liter XD production line. Typically XD has increased product titers by a factor of 5-to-15 times which means a 500L bioreactor can provide a DSM client with the same amount of drug substance as a 5000L stainless steel bioreactor at an overall lower cost.

Brisbane is DSM's blueprint for its 'biologics plant of the future' for biopharmaceuticals manufacturing. DSM's proprietary technologies drive down cost, processing times and capital requirements to meet market demand for life saving medications.  XD^® has also shown impressive results for biosimilars and ethical drugs with respect to both volume and product quality.

Financial terms were not disclosed.