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The state-of-the-art fully automated facility is built on a 1.5 million square feet site and comprises three buildings
Thermo Fisher Scientific developed a new biologics manufacturing facility in Lengnau
to improve its pharmaceutical services capacity and manufacturing capabilities to meet the growing demand for biologic therapies
Thermo Fisher Scientific assumed operational responsibility for the facility in October 2021 under a long-term lease agreement signed with CSL in May 2020
The Lengnau facility manufactures life-saving treatments for patients suffering from rare diseases all around the world
More than 200 biopharmaceutical professionals are working at the facility
Thermo Fisher Scientific is adding three 5,000-litre DynaDrive bioreactor suites to the Lengnau facility
The new bioreactors are expected to be commissioned by the fourth quarter of 2024
Building A includes process development and analytical services while Building B includes highly flexible bioproduction technologies
including 5,000-litre single-use and 12,000-litre stainless steel bioreactors
and Building C includes 3,000m² of manufacturing space
Services offered by the facility include custom preclinical upstream and downstream process development services, process optimisation and technology transfer for clinical supply phases and commercial production
The facility can produce 120 batches a year and includes multiproduct downstream processing trains in addition to manufacturing science and technology (MSAT) laboratories for technology transfer and optimisation
The stainless steel production suites include separate large-scale media and buffer preparation areas
while the single-use production suites include buffer preparation areas and inline conditioning
MSAT laboratories comprise more than 372m² of space for process development and analytical services in addition to state-of-the-art process monitoring and laboratory-scale investigations and process improvement capabilities
The quality control laboratory capabilities of the facility include more than 277m² of space for monitoring
downstream release testing and ion chromatography capabilities
The facility is also equipped with advanced automation features such as an automated manufacturing execution system with electronic batch records and full electronic traceability through scanning and barcoding of materials and equipment used
It also features an automated weigh and dispense system for media/buffer preparation
The facility supports the production of CSL’s product portfolio
including its next-generation haemophilia product Idelvion
Idelvion is a recombinant coagulation factor IX-albumin fusion protein
long-acting recombinant DNA-derived coagulation factor IX concentrate used for treating children and adults with congenital factor IX deficiency (Haemophilia B)
The US Food and Drug Administration approved Idelvion in March 2016
Haemophilia B is an inherited bleeding condition caused by a deficiency or abnormality in blood clotting factor IX
Patients may experience persistent or spontaneous bleeding
Idelvion extends the half-life of recombinant factor IX by fusing it with recombinant albumin
It allows factor IX to remain in the blood for longer
The drug received marketing authorisation from the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use in February 2016
Thermo Fisher plans to increase its capacities for the development, manufacturing and commercialisation of drug products, biologics, and cell and gene therapies. It also opened a new viral vector manufacturing facility in Plainville
with an estimated investment of $180m to double its viral vectors manufacturing capacity in August 2022
Thermo Fisher has also invested in the expansion of its pharmaceutical services capabilities for the biotechnology clients working on antiviral therapies
and pharmaceutical developers working on novel coronavirus vaccines
It is offering its global pharmaceutical services network to support approximately 100 Covid-19 client projects
Thermo Fisher Scientific is a significant supplier of scientific instruments
It employs more than 90,000 personnel worldwide
The company provides an unmatched combination of breakthrough technologies
and pharmaceutical services through its brands such as Thermo Scientific
The Lengnau facility is an important addition to Thermo Fisher’s global biologics production network
Thermo Fisher also plans to expand the utility of the facility by enabling other biopharmaceutical customers to use the site for their projects by offering end-to-end services from development to large-scale production
according to the evolving manufacturing requirements
The products offered by Thermo Fisher Scientific include CEDIA Products
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Thermo Fisher will assume operational responsibility for a biologics manufacturing facility in Lengnau
Switzerland as part of its collaboration with CSL Limited
The 1.5 million square-foot plant will become part of Thermo Fisher Scientific’s global biologics manufacturing network
The facility will house flexible bioproduction technologies
such as single-use and stainless steel with up to 12,500 L bioreactor capacity
Thermo Fisher took over operations at Lengnau in June 2020 after it entered a strategic partnership with CSL
this site further strengthens our unique customer value proposition to leverage our scale and depth of capabilities for pharma and biotech customers,” Michel Lagarde executive vice president of Thermo Fisher said
the addition of high-volume capabilities at the Lengnau site will support biopharma companies with a clear pathway from development through to large-scale manufacturing as production needs evolve
Construction of the site is expected to be complete in 2022 and around 200 employees will join Thermo Fisher
the firm will support production of CSL’s recombinant factor IX product Idelvion
which is used to control and prevent bleeding in patients with hemophilia B
but over time the company aims to expand the use of the site to include other biopharma customers
The firm claim the site is an “important expansion” of Thermo Fisher’s biologics manufacturing network that includes Brisbane
Last week Thermo Fisher revealed plans to invest $82.5 million in a Missouri drug substance facility run by its contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) division Patheon
The expansion forms part of a three-year capital expenditure plan across its biopharma services divisions and will add two manufacturing suites with around $15 million in new manufacturing machinery and equipment over a two-year period
Journalist covering global biopharmaceutical manufacturing and processing news and host of the Voices of Biotech podcast
I am currently living and working in London but I grew up in Lincolnshire (UK) and studied in Newcastle (UK)
Got a story? Feel free to email me at [email protected]
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Registered in England & Wales with number 01835199
Lengnau will become the newest site in Thermo Fisher Scientific's biologics manufacturing network
The site is to be completed in 2022 and its staff of 200 will join the company
Following completion of site construction in 2022
Thermo Fisher will initially support manufacturing of CSL’s next-generation recombinant factor IX product Idelvion for patients with hemophilia B
Thermo Fisher plans to expand the use of the site to include additional biopharma customers
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antimicrobial resistance and how Europe is preparing for the next pandemic
Since the first antibody drug was approved back in 1986
monoclonal antibodies have emerged as the dominant class in the global US$417bn market for biologics
and experts are divided on whether the financing nadir has been reached or even passed
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Thermo Fisher will take over operations at CSL’s biomanufacturing site in Lengnau – currently under construction – adding 12,000 L of stainless-steel bioreactor capacity to its CDMO network
CSL Behring broke ground on the 1.5 million square-foot site in Lengnau
with plans to use the facilities to manufacture recombinant products
which invested approximately CHF 1 billion ($1 billion) into the project
said the site was “part of an ongoing global strategy to expand capacity and is of crucial importance to the company’s long-term growth plans.”
CSL has chosen instead to lease the Lengnau facility to Thermo Fisher
which will run it as part of its contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) network
The agreement “gives the Lengnau site a clear path forward for its workforce and a strong future with a global employer that is a leader in serving science and patients,” said CSL spokesperson Natalie de Vane
“With a plan for additional investment in the site jointly by Thermo Fisher and CSL
the arrangement will generate continued economic activity and benefit for the Canton of Bern and the community.”
The deal brings benefits to both CSL and Thermo Fisher
the CDMO gains “an accelerated pathway to additional manufacturing capacity that will support continued growth in its established biotherapeutics services,” she said
the partnership will ensure a positive future for Lengnau operations
create access to a wide range of Thermo Fisher’s value-adding capabilities and capacities
and enable us to optimize the return on our shareholders’ investment in Lengnau
Thermo Fisher will provide both its CDMO services as well as other capabilities to support CSL’s global operations and help us to drive efficiencies
complex project and CSL and Thermo Fisher are joining forces to meet needs of both companies and to utilize the full capabilities of the facility.”
Financials of the deal have not been divulged but de Vane said the deal will allow CSL to finish construction at Lengnau while investing capital in “other high-priority projects.”
CSL Behring has manufacturing sites in Australia
said the partnership with Thermo Fisher is not part of a wider strategy to outsource manufacturing
“CSL made a specific strategic decision regarding Lengnau and a broader initiative effecting other facilities is not under consideration at this time.”
This latest lease “will feature highly flexible bioproduction technologies
providing a pathway from development to large-scale production,” a Thermo Fisher spokesperson told us
“The site will initially include 12kL Stainless Steel bioreactors for high-volume production.”
Once construction is complete – expected in 2021 – “Thermo Fisher will support manufacturing of CSL’s next-generation product for hemophilia patients
Thermo Fisher plans to expand the use of the site to include additional biopharma customers.”
Journalist covering the international biopharmaceutical manufacturing and processing industries.Founder and editor of Bioprocess Insider
a daily news offshoot of publication Bioprocess International
with expertise in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors
regulatory affairs and business development.From London
UK originally but currently based in Montpellier
France through a round-a-bout adventure that has seen me live and work in Leeds (UK)
The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t hammered the life sciences industry as much as other parts of the economy
as marked by recent announcements of new manufacturing sites
Moderna has picked long-time partner Alexandria Real Estate Equities to develop
build and operate a new headquarters on the Alexandria Center at One Kendall Square campus in Cambridge
It will be 462,000 square feet and will be the Moderna Science Center
“The new site will include custom spaces for leading-edge research and development
The building will integrate scientific and non-scientific spaces to maximize collaboration and provoke disruptive innovation.”
and they expect to be able to begin moving in during 2023
“We have been located in Massachusetts since our founding more than 10 years ago and are proud to be based here,” said Stephane Bancel
“As we advance our mRNA platform and science
our new science center will integrate digital-first scientific research and development labs along with space for innovation and co-creation with our people and our partners around the world.”
Thermo Fisher Scientific announced plans to invest $82.5 million in its biologic drug substance manufacturing site in St
“This new expansion will enable further innovation in biologics manufacturing to address the continued growth in important therapies and medicines,” said Michel Lagarde
“We look forward to our continued contribution to job creation and economic development in this region.”
The location will be part of the company’s global biologics manufacturing network
About 200 staffers will join Thermo Fisher
The location has 1.5 million square feet of space and includes a highly flexible bioproduction technology
including single-use and stainless steel capabilities with up to 12,500L bioreactor capacity
“We are excited to add the new Lengnau site to our global biologics manufacturing network and we are thrilled to welcome more than 200 new colleagues to Thermo Fisher,” said Lagarde
this site further strengthens our unique customer value proposition to leverage our scale and depth of capabilities for pharma and biotech customers.”
Aubagne, France-based Sartorius is expanding operations in Michigan
with plans to open a new 130,000-square-foot plant in Ann Arbor
It will “have an anchoring presence” in the Tech Loop at the Ann Arbor Research Park as well as add a flagship location in North America
It has acquired more than 15 acres of land
They expect to create 160 jobs over three years
“The new facility will consolidate existing business operations in Washtenaw County to create a center of excellence in Ann Arbor for the Laboratory and Bioprocess Products and Services in North America
which focus on providing innovative solutions to help customers develop drugs that cure
and halt the progression of diseases,” said Mary Lavin
The demand – like with many other brands – has really grown so we have had to produce more
we have been working to increase the volume
so we thought it would be very easy to hire a few more people to do a bit more
but we had to completely restructure the company
because the new way didn’t fit their spirit of watchmaking anymore
We can’t put them in our factory anymore because we are running out of space so we have a new space in Lengnau where the CNC machines will go to give us more space for the watchmaking workshops.
We are relaunching our very first in-house calibre for Geneva Watch Days
which was called the One Week with a double barrel
We first launched it as an open-worked watch
and now we are relaunching it because we still love the movement
We have tried to give a new identity to the movement
especially in terms of the power reserve and the winding system
We also wanted to be a little cleverer with the power reserve indication
The first calibre had the power reserve indication on the differential gear
and our Dual Time Resonance – the oval-shaped Masterpiece One – has the power reserve on a cone system
We got very good feedback from collectors because they love the cone moving up and down
we said let’s integrate the cone system into the One Week
It was all about exploring the power reserve and diving into the movement
It is also the very first time that we have had central hands.
The Ultimate Sapphire is one of our best sellers in the Gravity Equal Force collection and we did an orange version
which got a lot of attention from our customers
so we decided to go ahead with this idea and integrate all the colours on the watch
The thing is you have to have one or two customers in mind when you are creating an Only Watch piece
you know that it will sell in seconds.
The main difference is that we didn’t have the Resonance in 2010
We were ready to invent new things and this changed the company
We definitely want to keep the level of hand finishing and to keep growing but without compromising on quality
independent niche brand that makes 12 to 50 watches per year; we make 400 pieces a year
But the objective is not for 2,000 or 3,000 watches; we would like to double the volume
I think 60 to 70 people would be the maximum
otherwise we would lose the spirit of the company.
Serge [Michel] invested in the Gurten Festival because it is a local festival
His family is driven by art and passion and they are involved in different businesses within the Bern area- So
instead of having investors in Zurich take over the festival
where it could have become more about the numbers than about having the best bands
Serge wanted to keep the festival’s spirit going because he grew up coming here.
Rolex made headlines in 2023 when the brand acquired Bucherer, which at the time was the world’s largest retailer of Rolex watches
coupled with the subsequent launch of Rolex’s certified pre-owned program
signaled that the brand was looking to exert more control and influence over its market
as new reporting indicates that Rolex has decided to shut down Carl F
Carl F. Bucherer was founded in 1888. That means the brand is not only older than Tudor but also Rolex
CFB was easily the oldest brand under The Crown’s corporate umbrella
The brand manufactures its own movements and uses some unique proprietary technologies
Most notable is its peripheral rotor system which rotates around the perimeter of the movement on a ball bearing
thus eliminating the need for the rotor to attach to a bridge or mainplate
CFB was also the only haute horlogerie brand owned by Rolex, as it has manufactured in-house movements featuring complex complications such as tourbillons, flyback chronographs and minute repeaters — none of which are produced by Rolex or Tudor
CFB proved unable to cut through the noise of the crowded luxury watch landscape
The brand has rarely been mentioned among its competition in recent years and receives little attention from watch media
This general unpopularity seems to have sealed its fate
Bucherer due to the brand being a perennial money-loser
and largely stayed in business due to its status as the personal “hobby” of Jörg Bucherer
Bucherer passed away a few months after Rolex acquired his family brand
meaning CFB’s greatest champion could no longer keep the brand off the chopping block
Bilanz claims Rolex informed CFB employees on Friday that the brand was shutting down
with existing boutiques set to close and remaining stock in CFB’s 250 points of sale being cleared out to make way for other brands
Rolex declined to comment to Bilanz on the matter and directed questions to Bucherer
which dismissed them as “rumors.”
but Not Without a FightFor three centuries
the Jews of Switzerland were only allowed to live in two villages
This is their unique story of resistance and survival in the face of persecution
2018Get email notification for articles from Ariel David FollowOct 14
most of the Jews in the Swiss villages of Endingen and Lengnau are found underground
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18 Miles northwest of Zurich are two shtetls whose homes
synagogues and cemetery survived World War II
Only a vanishingly small number of the villages’ once thriving Jewish population remain in the area and the culture they supported is on life support
Haaretz reports that in the Swiss towns of Endingen and Lengnau
whose populations number around 20 Jews altogether
major efforts are underway to restore the localities’ 300-year-old Jewish character
with the financial support of the Swiss government
inviting Jews from all over the region to sit in a sukkah or have a seder
But maybe the most exciting project in the works is a 20 million franc outreach effort called “Double Doors” which will make Aargau a hub of Jewish education complete with a visitor center
presentations on Jewish history and more guided tours
The project’s name refers to one of the towns’ most interesting features
Many of the buildings in Endingen and Lengnau have two entrances
the result of restrictions that governed the towns’ Jews beginning in the early 17th century
In the 16th century a few Jewish families settled in the area because it was under the jurisdiction of the Habsburgs and not an official part of Switzerland
When more Jews settled in Aargau in the 1600s
sold the deeds to Christians and lived there as tenants to gentile landlords
The rub: Jews and Christians couldn’t live in the same house
The history of the canton is rich with these little loopholes. Haaretz reports that Jews were afforded rights of citizenship and were only allowed to stay on because of the tax dollars they gave the government for
Barred from many occupations they worked as peddlers and cattle sellers – taxed vocations that filled the coffers of the Swiss Federation
In an effort to curb the Jewish population of Aargau (half the population of Endingen and a third of Lengnau at its peak in 1850) marriage licenses were also taxed and often denied
the father of mining magnate Meyer Guggenheim and a resident of Lengnau
was denied a license for a second marriage and moved to the United States
both abroad and to more metropolitan areas of Switzerland
became a hallmark of the shtetls’ modern history
especially after Switzerland’s 1874 Constitution gave Jews full rights
Unsurprisingly the towns were subject to a pogrom following Napoleon’s invasion in 1798
The Swiss were outraged by the French effort to emancipate their Jews and responded by ransacking Jewish homes and brutalizing the Jewish population in 1802
“There were perhaps 2,000 Jews in the country at the time
and yet this attempted emancipation aroused such great passion and controversy that it helped start a nationwide revolt,” Simon Erlanger
a Jewish history lecturer at the University of Lucerne told Haaretz
But even with the many regulations and persecutions encountered by the Jews, they were able to build a life. Haaretz reports the villages have two standing synagogues dating from the 19th century as well as mikvehs
While Jews originally had to bury their dead in a marshland beyond the Swiss border
when the cemetery flooded in 1750 they were allowed a plot of land between Legnau and Endingen
This plot is still intact with around 2,700 graves; it is the oldest Jewish cemetery in Switzerland
now preserved by the Swiss government (the shul in Endingen still holds irregular services)
But perhaps the most curious revival by the handful of Jews still living in the twin shtetls is that of cattle trading
Haaretz reports that Jules Bloch
a 71-year-old retired banker in Endingen has started selling off heifers to honor his forebears in the town
Bloch wasn’t optimistic about the future of the Jewish residents of Legnau and Endingen
many of whom are getting on in years and living in a retirement home endowed by the Guggenheims
“It would be nice to have a small community with a few families to keep alive our traditions,” Bloch told Haaretz
“But I fear that in a few years there will be no Jews left here.”
The forthcoming Double Doors project may educate the Swiss public about Jewish history
but whether it will court more of Switzerland’s 18,000 Jews back to the land of their ancestors remains to be seen
PJ Grisar is the Forward’s culture intern. He can be reached at [email protected]
PJ Grisar is a Forward culture reporter. He can be reached at [email protected] and @pjgrisar on Twitter.[email protected]@pjgrisar
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Rado still has its headquarters in the small Swiss town to this day
This feature has been produced in partnership with Rado
Few industries are more competitive than luxury watchmaking
Watchmaking is at the very pointy end of advanced manufacturing and brands furiously compete against each other to introduce new technologies and designs; to push the boundaries and the artform forward
there’s a fair amount of smoke and mirrors
Many so-called ‘world firsts’ in the watch world are more a case of great marketing than genuinely boundary-breaking developments
is one of those rare watchmakers who actually have some substance to their claims
Most Australians know the brand thanks to its strong connections to the tennis world: Rado is the official timekeeper of over a dozen international tournaments and supports athletes like our very own world #1 Ash Barty
But there’s more to the Swiss brand than just tennis
Rado boasts over a century of remarkable innovation
exceptional creativity and is responsible for a number of genuine watchmaking revolutions
It’s easily one of the most unique watch brands on the planet and definitely a name you should have on your lips in any serious discussion about luxury watches
Rado can trace its origins back to the Schlup & Co
about an hour away from the Swiss capital Bern
Producing their first finished watches in the 1920s
the family-run concern grew into one of Switzerland’s biggest watchmakers
with the brand eventually falling on the name Rado to sell their watches back in the 50s
Rado quickly became known for its material innovations
the brand focusing on scratch resistance as its core mission
conduction intense research into high-tech ceramic
advanced sapphire crystal and complex forging techniques
Rado even brought the world’s first scratch-proof watch to market – the DiaStar 1
made with a tungsten carbide alloy the brand calls ‘hardmetal’
It’s a material that’s just as technically impressive and practical today as it was back when the DiaStar 1 was launched in 1962
1962 also saw the launch of the Captain Cook – one of the world’s first modern dive watches and perhaps Rado’s most iconic model to date
All brands have their gimmicks or hallmarks
but Rado’s pursuit of scratch resistance really sets them apart from the competition – and it’s no mere conceit
you want it to last: not only are the high-tech materials Rado crafts its watches from comfortable and durable
its trademark ceramics and hardmetals continuing to look brand-new years down the line
Another hallmark of the brand is its unique design language
In a market where many brands are guilty of copying common designs and offering little variation within their own ranges or even between themselves
From striking angular designs like the True Square to the masculine utility of the Captain Cook
The brand continues to break new ground – whether that’s ultra-thin timepieces
advanced ceramics or forward-thinking partnerships with the world’s best designers – in order to truly make watches that stand the test of time
so it’s worth throwing your lot in with something that’s going to reward you for ages to come
That’s what makes Rado watches so special: they’re incredibly modern
but also timeless in a way that few watch brands can hope to be… And ‘special’ is exactly what Australians want out of a watch
Discover the Rado universe at their online boutique here
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