Eisai subsidiary Morphotek opens antibody production site

Eisai has announced that its subsidiary Morphotek has inaugurated a new pilot manufacturing plant for the production of antibodies.

The site, which is located in Pennsylvania, has been created using an $80 million (51.01 million pounds) investment and spans 60,000 sq ft, incorporating production facilities, laboratories and office space.

It will be used for the manufacture of antibodies to support early-stage clinical trials, a function that had previously been outsourced by Morphotek, meaning it will be able to benefit from better efficiency and increased capabilities.

Specifically, the creation of the plant will allow multiple investigational antibodies to be manufactured simultaneously, with production operations scheduled to get underway before the end of the year.

According to Eisai, the opening of this new manufacturing facility will "shorten therapeutic antibody development times … and ensure the early delivery of treatments that satisfy the unmet medical needs of patients and their families".

Earlier this month, it was announced that the European Commission has approved Eisai's new epilepsy therapy Fycompa, the efficacy of which has been clinically proven in phase III trials.