AGC Biologics Unveils 5,000L Single-Use Bioreactors at Yokohama CDMO Facility

• AGC Biologics is installing two 5,000 L Thermo Scientific DynaDrive Single-Use Bioreactors at its new Yokohama facility, with GMP operations set to begin in 2027.

• The site will support large-scale biologics contract manufacturing, including mammalian, cell therapy, and mRNA products.

AGC Biologics has announced it will introduce two 5,000-litre Thermo Scientific DynaDrive Single-Use Bioreactors at its new facility in Yokohama, Japan. The new site is scheduled to begin GMP operations in 2027 and is positioned to become one of the most advanced locations in Japan for large-scale mammalian-based biologics production.

The strategic technology decision enhances the CDMO’s contract manufacturing capabilities in the region. The DynaDrive bioreactors will support flexible, scalable production with fewer cleaning requirements and shorter timelines. According to 2024 data from BDO Group’s bioTRAK Database, single-use systems now make up 51% of mammalian bioreactor technologies globally, driven by these benefits.

Christoph Winterhalter, Chief Business Officer at AGC Biologics, stated: “The new Yokohama site is designed to utilize single-use bioreactors to offer large-scale GMP manufacturing… and further expands our robust global network of single-use manufacturing sites on three continents.”

The Yokohama facility will support early-phase development through to commercial production. It will handle mammalian expression, cell therapy, and mRNA drug products. The site adds to AGC Biologics’ existing footprint in Japan, complementing its Chiba facility.

AGC Biologics is part of AGC Inc.’s Life Science Company, which operates over ten facilities worldwide dedicated to biopharmaceuticals, advanced therapies, small molecule APIs, and agrochemicals.