Stirling, UK and Boston, USA, 9th September 2024 — Symbiosis Pharmaceutical Services Ltd (Symbiosis), a fast-growing sterile biopharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing Organisation (CMO), has announced the acquisition of a new facility in Stirling, Scotland, supported by a £4.3 million grant from Scottish Enterprise. This strategic move is set to double Symbiosis’s footprint to 43,500 square feet and significantly boost its manufacturing capacity, enabling the rapid delivery of sterile injectable drug products to clinical trials and commercial markets.
The newly acquired space, located near Symbiosis’s existing cleanrooms, testing laboratories, and GMP warehouse facilities, will support the company’s growth strategy by incorporating automated sterile manufacturing production lines. This expansion will bolster Symbiosis’s current commercial manufacturing services and enhance its capacity to meet the demands of a global client base in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors.
Symbiosis’s CEO, Colin MacKay, emphasized the transformative nature of this investment: “By investing in this new 20,000 sq ft facility and the cutting-edge pharmaceutical manufacturing automation, Symbiosis has positioned itself to provide additional significant world-class aseptic manufacturing capacity for our existing and future clients globally.” He added that this development marks a significant strategic chapter in the company’s ongoing growth trajectory, ensuring sustained value generation for both clients and shareholders.
The project, supported by a £26 million financial commitment from Symbiosis, is expected to safeguard 130 skilled jobs while creating 50 new positions in the life sciences sector in Scotland. The enhanced facility will also feature two new GMP automated production lines, increasing the maximum batch size to 15,000 vials. With the addition of automated visual inspection and labelling processes, Symbiosis is poised to enhance operational flexibility and accommodate a variety of GMP sterile manufacturing processes tailored to client specifications.
This expansion is not just about increasing capacity but also about accelerating the delivery of vital medicines to patients. Alison Clayton, Strategic Projects Director at Symbiosis, highlighted the company’s commitment to overcoming emerging drug therapy manufacturing challenges: “This expansion illustrates our continued investment in solving new and emerging drug therapy manufacturing challenges, working alongside drug developers to commercialise, scale and accelerate the path to delivering safe and effective medicines to patients.”
Symbiosis’s growth strategy also aligns with its recent investments in in-house Quality Control (QC) microbiological and analytical testing services, further solidifying its market presence in North America and the European Union.
The company is currently in the qualification phase for regulatory inspection scheduled for November, with plans to begin operations at the new facility by early 2025.
The expansion has garnered attention from key figures in the Scottish Government. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes recently visited the Symbiosis site and praised the project, saying, “This support for Symbiosis is just one example of how Scottish Enterprise is targeting key areas – in this case, the life sciences sector – to bring significant capital investment and improve manufacturing, thereby boosting exports.”
Symbiosis’s new facility underscores its commitment to advancing sterile manufacturing capabilities while supporting Scotland’s burgeoning life sciences industry. As the company enters its next phase of growth, it is set to enhance its service offering to global clients, expedite drug development processes, and contribute to the delivery of innovative therapies to patients worldwide.
