Swiss Novartis Opens Fastest Cell Culture Facility in Tyrol
Novartis opened a state-of-the-art cell culture facility for the production of monoclonal antibodies in Schaftenau, Tyrol.
From left to right: Oskar Wolkenstein, Roland Gander, Cornelia Hagele, Martin Kocher, Kuntal Baveja and Max Kloger / Picture: © Novarits Österreich/Martin Vandory
The facility, named CC2Plus, is considered the fastest and most efficient cell culture facility in the Novartis network. With an investment of 250 million euros, this is a significant step towards strengthening the pharmaceutical company's production capacities.
"The new facility enables us to increase output by 170 percent," explained site manager Roland Gander. "It will enable us to produce 14 tons of pure antibodies per year - a figure that was considered utopian just a short time ago." The CC2Plus plant complements the CC2 plant, which was commissioned in 2022, and increases the fermentation volume to around 1.8 million liters per year. This will enable the fast and efficient production of urgently needed biopharmaceuticals.
Investment and significance for the Tyrol site
The cell culture facility is part of a 500 million euro investment package announced by Novartis in February. With the opening of the facility, Novartis is reaffirming its commitment to the Tyrol site. "Our sites in Kundl and Schaftenau are among the most innovative production facilities in Europe and enable us to provide patients worldwide with innovative medicines 'Made in Austria'," said Kuntal Baveja, President of Novartis Austria.
Minister of Economic Affairs Martin Kocher emphasized the importance of the new plant for the Austrian life science industry: "Austria offers excellent conditions for entrepreneurial success. This investment strengthens the security of supply of biopharmaceuticals from Austria." Health Minister Cornelia Hagele emphasized the attractiveness of Tyrol as a location for life sciences: "Tyrol has successfully positioned itself as an attractive location for life sciences for many years. Novartis is an important driving force in this area."
Challenges and future prospects
In addition to expanding production capacity, the new facility will also create 150 additional jobs in production, quality, and support functions. Qualification of all systems should be completed by fall 2024. The facility produces monoclonal antibodies, which are used in particular in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and cancer.
With the opening of the CC2Plus cell culture facility, Novartis is setting a new standard in biopharmaceutical production and at the same time strengthening the Tyrol site as a leading center for biotechnology in Europe. The investment of 250 million euros and the resulting innovations underline the importance of research and development for the future of medicine.