Fujifilm’s Cell Culture Branch Acquires Recombinant Protein Maker Shenandoah

Fujifilm Irvine Scientific, a cell culture developer and subsidiary of Fujifilm Corporation, is acquiring Shenandoah Biotechnology, a recombinant protein maker based in Pennsylvania. The production of cell and gene therapies have grown rapidly in recent years, fueled by a hotbed of biopharma interest and investment. 

According to Fujifilm, the acquisition of Shenandoah will provide biopharma customers a one-stop shop for their life sciences research, drug discovery, and cell and gene therapy needs. The Shenandoah deal will also help Fujifilm achieve the sales target of $850 million in their Life Sciences Business by 2025, the company said. 

Profile of Shenandoah

Founded in 2006, Shenandoah specializes in mass producing recombinant proteins from E. coli. They mainly focus on manufacturing recombinant cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors for research purposes. That includes PDGF, FGF Basic, and TGF beta 1. 

The biotech recently began producing their line of cell therapy grade products from their GMP facility. Shenandoah also provides custom services ranging from inclusion body protein folding and purification, custom protein expression, and bulk protein production.

The companies did not disclose financial details, but the deal is expected to close later this month. 

Fujifilm Irvine Scientific Moves to Expand Cell Culture Media Production

Fujifilm Irvine Scientific has been busy expanding its manufacturing capacity for cell culture media, its area of specialty. 

Last December, it established a new innovation and collaboration center in Suzhou New District, China, which will focus on upstream cell culture processes for biomanufacturing. The company the same month announced that its manufacturing plant in the Netherlands (and link to European markets) was fully operational. The Dutch facility adds to Fujifilm’s other plants in the US and Japan, increasing the output of its cell culture media products.

Author

Joy Lin

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