Wacker rebrands newly acquired pharma protein facility in the Netherlands

The pharmaceutical protein production facility in the Netherlands acquired by German chemicals firm, Wacker, with its takeover of SynCo Bio Partners Luxembourg S.à r.l., has been renamed Wacker Biotech B.V. The site in Amsterdam for the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals, live microbial products and vaccines, as well as the associated business, was acquired by Wacker in April 2018.

“Changing the name to Wacker Biotech B.V. is the next key step in integrating SynCo Bio Partners into the Wacker Group. The previously separate companies are now also united by a common name, and represent a new, strong partner in microbial contract manufacturing,” commented Dr. Susanne Leonhartsberger, Managing Director of Wacker Biotech GmbH.

The Amsterdam site employs over 100 people and has two fermentation lines, a further line with single-use fermenters and a fill-and-finish facility. These manufacture pharmaceutical actives not only for clinical testing, but also for the commercial market.

“With the acquisition of SynCo Bio Partners, we have strengthened our market position as a manufacturer of biopharmaceutical proteins in the long term,” said Dr. Leonhartsberger. The acquisition has doubled Wacker’s production capacity for pharmaceutical actives.

Wacker said SynCo Bio Partners’ expertise in manufacturing live microbial biopharmaceuticals adds to its knowhow as a full-service supplier. Live microbial products represent a promising new class of actives, offering innovative therapies for serious illnesses and new vaccines against diseases such as cholera. Industry experts forecast an average growth rate of 13.8% for the global biologics market until 2025.