Bavarian Nordic A/S Accelerates MVA-BN Technical Development and Production Upscaling
Bavarian Nordic A/S and Schering AG signed today an agreement whereby Bavarian Nordic acquires the wholly-owned subsidiary of Schering, GTB GenTherapeutika Berlin-Buch GmbH, in Berlin, Germany. The facility will supplement Bavarian Nordic’s existing development organisation in Copenhagen and Munich and its international production network. Effective date of the take-over is 15 May 2003.
In a focused effort to accelerate technical capabilities, the acquisition further expands Bavarian Nordic’s development program and process optimisation of MVA-BN vaccines. The newly-acquired facility is ideally-suited for the manufacturing of clinical batch materials which will accelerate Bavarian Nordic’s clinical programs as well as add flexibility to global production planning and security of supply.
The company acquired by Bavarian Nordic was established by Schering AG and its partners in 2000 as a cGMP-compliant facility for contract manufacturing of biologics in pilot scale. Accordingly, this facility will allow Bavarian Nordic to complete upscaling and optimisation of the MVA-BN production process during the autumn of 2003.
Situated within the Max-Delbrück-Center biotech campus north of Berlin, the facility contains state-of-the-art clean room facilities with several production suites for cGMP-compliant technical development and process optimisation. Staff at the site will continue and become part of the company’s technical operations organization. Activities under Bavarian Nordic will commence on 15 May.
The acquisition is not expected to affect Bavarian Nordic’s expectations for 2003, which remain at a turnover of DKK 500 million and a result of DKK 250 million before tax.
