Biotech manufacturing news summary, 19

Today in brief

AstraZeneca is connecting and automating manufacturing operations rather than pursuing continuous production alone, executive Jon Coffman said.1 Its plants are full, and the company outsources twice its in-house production volume, he said.1

AstraZeneca connects production and processing

AstraZeneca calls its approach integrated dynamic bioprocessing, linking upstream production and downstream processing while accounting for changing titers and product quality during runs.1 Coffman estimated that connecting and automating operations in a 12,000-liter plant captures about 80% of the value of the company’s full platform.1

Coffman said the company is building a clinical facility that will run batch and continuous processes side by side.1 He said downstream integration can increase output when purification is the bottleneck and may require as little as 30 days’ notice.1 Switching upstream production from fed-batch to perfusion could deliver five times the productivity in the same bioreactors, he said, but requires a substantial regulatory process.1

AstraZeneca has pledged $50 billion for US manufacturing and research and development by 2030.1 The company’s clinical manufacturing facility in Gaithersburg, Maryland, unveiled in November 2025, is scheduled to be fully operational in 2029.1

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The day in numbers

80%

Coffman’s estimate of the platform value captured by connecting and automating operations in a 12,000-liter plant. 1
5×

Potential productivity from switching upstream production to perfusion in the same bioreactors, according to Coffman. 1
$50 billion

AstraZeneca’s pledged US manufacturing and research and development investment through 2030. 1