Catalent Pharma Solutions, a provider of drug and biologic development services, has officially open its new, state-of-the-art biomanufacturing Center of Excellence in Madison, Wisc.

Constructed in response to customer demand, the new facility will quadruple Catalent’s current biologics manufacturing capacity, allowing the company to extend its offerings in the sector while enhancing the efficiency and output of its proprietary GPEx cell line engineering technology as well as other mammalian cell lines.

Designed for flexible cGMP production, from 10L up to 1000L, and non-GMP production up to 250L, the facility features extensive use of single-use technologies and unidirectional flow to greatly reduce cross contamination risk. Manufacturing is supported by integrated analytical, formulation development and viral clearance capabilities, small-scale and large-scale process development laboratories, and separate microbiology and quality control functions.

Catalent has moved all its 89 employees from its current 43,000 square foot facility in Middleton to the 100,000 square foot Madison site and plans on eventually employing over 100 people at the new site.

“Our new biomanufacturing Center of Excellence has been specifically designed to meet our customers’ needs through improved delivery of integrated services in the areas of biologic development and manufacturing, and we will be pleased to welcome many of them on site at the official opening,” said Barry Littlejohns, president of Catalent’s biologics business. “The extensive application of single-use technology greatly reduces the risk of cross contamination and gives us huge flexibility and scale, while our on-site capabilities enable us to provide our customers with solutions for even the most difficult to express proteins.”