Northway Biotech Launches VCS Offering with BSL-2 and BSL-3 Labs

• Northway Biotech has expanded its CDMO services to include in-house Viral Clearance Studies (VCS), supported by six BSL-2 labs and BSL-3 capabilities.

• The new offering enables faster delivery of regulatory-compliant VCS data in under 10 to 12 weeks.

Northway Biotech, a biopharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO), has broadened its service portfolio to include Viral Clearance Studies (VCS), supporting both gene therapy and protein-based drug development.

The announcement follows the opening of the company’s new Gene Therapy Center and the commissioning of six identical BSL-2 laboratories. These labs will allow Northway Biotech to run parallel VCS programmes for up to six clients, helping to ease current bottlenecks in the sector. The company has also added GMP-compliant capabilities under BSL-3 conditions.

The VCS offering is available as part of integrated CDMO programmes or as a standalone service. This flexibility allows external clients to access VCS without committing to a full manufacturing contract.

Northway Biotech states that its upgraded infrastructure enables it to deliver full regulatory-compliant VCS reports in less than 10 weeks for studies involving two model viruses, and within 12 weeks for those involving four. These timelines represent a reduction of over one month compared to industry averages.

“Our expansion into Viral Clearance Studies is a natural extension of our CDMO services,” said Prof. Vladas Algirdas Bumelis, CEO of Northway Biotech. “By investing in state-of-the-art BSL-2 and BSL-3 facilities, expanding technical capabilities, and further strengthening our scientific teams, we are uniquely positioned to deliver high-quality VCS data faster.”