Evonik Opens Pharmaceutical Lipids Facility in Germany

Evonik, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), is opening a new good manufacturing practice (GMP) facility in Hanau, Germany, to manufacture lipids—which make up the building blocks of living cells and are a component of mRNA-based drug—for advanced, pharmaceutical drug delivery applications. The lipid launch facility provides customers with quantities of lipids as needed for both clinical and small-scale commercial manufacturing, while serving as a supplement for the company’s existing lab and commercial production capabilities.

The types of lipids that can be produced at Evonik’s lipid launch facility will cater to a broad range of RNA and gene therapies, such as infectious disease control, cancer immunotherapy, and protein replacement therapies. The opening of the lipid launch facility is the latest among various investments by Evonik in lipid manufacturing for the aforementioned RNA and gene therapies. Last year, the company made a $220 million joint investment with the US government to build a new lipid production facility at its US site in Tippecanoe, Ind.

“Our offering allows customers to obtain high quality GMP material consistent with larger scale production, enabling a seamless path for scale up—allowing our partners to move quickly in this fast-paced development space,” says Paul Spencer, head of drug delivery & products at Evonik’s health care business.