Agreement builds on customer's long-term deal in new Yokohama facility for five commercial biologics programs, now allocating an additional six commercial programs to Copenhagen facility to consolidate high-volume, single-use biologics manufacturing with one global partner
Deal reflects a shared belief that site interoperability and dual submissions are key to unlocking the benefits of local manufacturing for a global supply
Running multiple sites as one integrated supply node lets both companies move production quickly between locations as needs change
COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Nov. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AGC Biologics has expanded its existing long-term manufacturing agreement with a global pharmaceutical company, adding a second supply node at the CDMO's Copenhagen facility. The expansion, which builds on the existing agreement anchored at AGC Biologics' Yokohama site, grows the deal's total value beyond €0.5 billion.
The expanded deal calls for multi-product drug substance manufacturing across six biologics programs at AGC Biologics' Copenhagen site, encompassing process transfer, scale-up, validation, and commercial production. Products will launch and move across facilities with several dual regulatory submissions to optimize capacity, cost, and local manufacturing benefits, capturing levels of flexibility and supply chain robustness that could not be achieved with a single-site supply arrangement.
"This customer is building a more resilient, more flexible supply chain, and they've chosen to do that with us across two continents. This is exactly what we're well-positioned to offer to a market craving geographic flexibility and regionalization, while retaining global supply," said Alberto Santagostino, President and CEO of AGC Biologics. "We've built our single-use strategy around quality, capacity, and deep technical expertise so that when a partner is ready to localize and scale, we can meet them where they are. This deal takes inter-site flexibility to a larger scale, but it builds on our existing experience: two of our customers have already decided to co-launch their products from both our Seattle and Copenhagen facilities."
This agreement further cements AGC Biologics as a prominent global player in single-use bioreactor manufacturing, serving the large-scale mammalian single-use manufacturing needs of major pharmaceutical companies across regions. AGC Biologics maintains one of the largest global networks of single-use manufacturing capacity by volume in the industry, according to BDO's bioTRAK database. By combining strong commercialization capabilities with a friendly and expert CDMO approach, AGC Biologics supports customers pursuing cross-site launches, geographic flexibility, and regionalized manufacturing strategies across its global network.
"For a customer to bring six additional programs to Copenhagen, after bringing five to Yokohama, tells you everything about the trust our team has earned across the network," said Tadashi Murano, President of AGC Life Science Company. "Our focus stays on building lasting and trust-based relationships with our pharmaceutical customers, like we have been doing for decades in AGC with our industrial partners across a wide range of industries including electronics and automotive."
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why isn't the customer named in this announcement?
Consistent with standard practice in the biopharmaceutical industry, customer names are not disclosed without the customer's consent. AGC Biologics regularly enters into confidential manufacturing agreements to protect its customers' competitive and regulatory strategies.
Could this customer expand its manufacturing relationship with AGC Biologics further?
AGC Biologics operates GMP manufacturing sites across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, providing capacity for customers to expand into additional regions as their commercial manufacturing needs evolve.
What does AGC Biologics' Copenhagen site offer to large-scale developers?
Scientific teams at AGC Biologics' Copenhagen site have 25 years of expertise in drug substance development and GMP manufacturing. Customers using the site have received a total of over 50 commercial approvals from more than 20 regulatory agencies.
The Copenhagen site expansion in 2024 included 18,000 square meters distributed across manufacturing, quality control laboratories and technical and warehouse areas, including:
- Eight 2,000-liter single-use bioreactor production lines
- One 500-liter perfusion bioreactor
- Two downstream purification lines
About AGC Biologics
AGC Biologics is a leading global biopharmaceutical Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) with a strong commitment to delivering the highest standard of service as we work side-by-side with our clients and partners, to provide friendly and expert services. We provide world-class development and manufacturing of mammalian and microbial-based therapeutic proteins, plasmid DNA (pDNA), messenger RNA (mRNA), viral vectors, and genetically engineered cells. Our global network spans the U.S., Europe, and Asia, with locations in Seattle, Washington; Copenhagen, Denmark; Heidelberg, Germany; Milan, Italy; and Chiba and Yokohama, Japan. AGC Biologics is a part of AGC Inc.'s Life Science Business. The Life Science Business runs eight facilities focused on biopharmaceuticals, advanced therapies, small molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients, and agrochemicals. To learn more, visit www.agcbio.com.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4897a863-7a97-421e-80c6-ea973e3d314a
AGC Inc. corporate contact: info-pr@agc.com AGC Biologics media contact: kati.sills@agc.com
