AGC (AGC Inc.; Headquarters: Tokyo; President: Yoshinori Hirai), a world-leading manufacturer of glass, chemicals, and high-tech materials, has announced that the company decided to expand the capacity for gene and cell therapy at its biopharmaceutical CDMO^*1 subsidiary, AGC Biologics S.p.A. (Headquarters: Milan, Italy). At its Milan site Bresso Plant, AGC Biologics will install new viral vector^*2 production equipment and will enhance its analytics and process development facilities. The new facilities are scheduled to begin full operation in 2022. Further expansion is also being considered.

Gene and cell therapy is one of the most advanced medical treatments, with remarkable advances currently being made. Approximately 1,000 clinical trials are currently underway around the world. The related CDMO market is accordingly expected to grow by more than 30% annually^*3. Acquired by AGC in July 2020, AGC Biologics S.p.A. (formerly named Molecular Medicine S.p.A.) has strong technologies, such as for cell processing and viral vector manufacturing, to offer GMP^*4 compliant gene and cell therapy CDMO services to various customers, from biotech ventures to major biopharmaceutical companies. The equipment being installed will enable the company to implement viral vector suspension^*5 capabilities, a production platform suitable for larger scale manufacturing of viral vectors.

Under its AGC plus 2.0 management policy, AGC Group has positioned its Life Science business including its biopharmaceutical CDMO services, as one of its strategic businesses. The Group has been expanding its business through multiple acquisitions and capital investments in biopharmaceutical CDMO services using mammalian cells and microorganisms, as well as in synthetic pharmaceutical and agrochemical services. Furthermore in 2020, the Group expanded the scope of its CDMO business into the rapidly growing field of cell and gene therapies. The sales target for the Group’s Life Science business is 180 billion yen or more for 2025.
The AGC Group will continue to work with the pharmaceutical companies, contributing to the well-being of patients and society, by maximizing the synergy of each site so that the Group can provide its customers in each region with globally unified, high-quality services.

■About AGC Biologics S.p.A

Established	1996
Headquarters	Milan, Italy
Sites	Milan plant/Bresso plant, Italy
Business activities	Gene/cell therapy drug discovery and CDMO
Shareholding ratio	AGC, 100％
Website	http://www.agcbio.com

■AGC Group’s CDMO Business Sites

■Domains of AGC's Life Science Business