AGC Biologics $350M Yokohama build

AGC Biologics is spending $350 million on a new Yokohama manufacturing site as drugmakers in Asia look for more outsourced biologics capacity. (pharmamanufacturing.com) The company said the site is slated to begin good manufacturing practice operations in 2027 and will make mammalian-cell biologics, messenger RNA medicines, and cell therapies. AGC Biologics said the plant will include two 5,000-liter and four 2,000-liter single-use bioreactors for mammalian production. (pharmamanufacturing.com) A contract development and manufacturing organization is a company that makes drugs for other companies, from early test batches to commercial supply. AGC Biologics said the Yokohama site will handle work from pre-clinical development through commercial production. (agcbio.com) Single-use bioreactors are large disposable bags inside steel frames that grow living cells, replacing fixed stainless-steel tanks for some production runs. AGC Biologics said that setup will make Yokohama one of Japan’s largest sites for mammalian-based manufacturing capacity once complete. (agcbio.com) The project has been in motion since late 2023, when AGC said it would invest about 50 billion yen at its Yokohama Technical Center in Tsurumi-ku. AGC said the expansion was selected under a Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry program aimed at strengthening vaccine production. (agc.com) AGC first said the facility would be operational in 2026, but the company’s more recent timeline points to 2027 for good manufacturing practice-ready output. BioProcess International reported in April 2025 that the plant was expected to be operational in 2026, with good manufacturing practice operations beginning in 2027. (agcbio.com) (bioprocessintl.com) The Yokohama build also widens AGC’s product mix in Japan beyond traditional biologics. Pharma Manufacturing reported the site will include two in vitro transcription lines, purification lines, and lipid nanoparticle lines for messenger RNA production, plus four cleanrooms for cell therapy. (pharmamanufacturing.com) AGC has tied the investment to domestic supply concerns as well as export demand. In its December 2023 announcement, AGC said Japan still relies heavily on overseas contract manufacturers for biopharmaceutical development and production, and said the Yokohama site would add dual-use capacity that could switch to vaccines during a pandemic. (agc.com) The company already runs a Chiba site in Japan for mammalian expression and microbial fermentation, and said the new Yokohama facility will employ about 400 people once fully operational. In July 2025, AGC also started offering cell therapy process development services through its Yokohama Technical Center ahead of the larger plant’s launch. (agcbio.com) (pharmamanufacturing.com) The next marker is not the groundbreaking but the first regulated production run. AGC Biologics Chief Executive Officer Alberto Santagostino told Pharma Manufacturing the facility should be mechanically complete by the end of 2026, with the first good manufacturing practice batch targeted for June or July 2027. (pharmamanufacturing.com)