Lonza plots 2 manufacturing suites for antibody-drug conjugates at Switzerland site

The search for next-gen oncology therapies has sparked an arms race in biopharma to find the next big thing—whether that’s in cell and gene therapies or promising antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Eyeing that bustling market, Swiss manufacturing giant Lonza is diving even further into ADCs with a new customer on board.

As part of a tie-up with an undisclosed customer, Lonza will build two manufacturing suites totaling 16,146 square feet dedicated to the commercial production of two cancer fighting ADCs, the company said Wednesday. The newest expansion at Lonza’s Visp, Switzerland facility is set to go online at the end of 2022 and will eventually employ 200 workers.

With a growing number of approvals in recent years, ADCs have become a target of major biopharma investment despite the highly specialized manufacturing process required to produce them. Products like Gilead Sciences’ Trodelvy and AstraZeneca’s Enhertu are both blockbuster candidates, according to analysts, with potential for more winners in the near future.

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