Eli Lilly taps Fujifilm to chip in on COVID-19 antibody manufacturing as it awaits FDA’s emergency use decision

Shortly after rolling out interim data on its COVID-19 antibody hopeful, Eli Lilly last week sent the therapy ahead to the FDA for a potential emergency nod. If the antibody crosses the finish line, Lilly can expect a huge surge in demand—and it’s bringing in a manufacturing partner to help out. 

Lilly has signed on Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies to rev up manufacturing of one of its COVID-19 antibodies for distribution to low- and middle-income countries, the Japanese manufacturer said last week. 

Fujifilm will reserve production capacity at its Hillerød, Denmark biologics site, with commercial manufacturing set to begin in April, the company said. The facility holds six 20,000-liter bioreactors and will double in capacity as part of a $ 928M expansion project announced in June.

The agreement falls under the umbrella of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-funded COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator, which aims to distribute affordable therapeutics to developing nations. 

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FiercePharma: Pharma