Biopharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing: HighTech Business Decisions Report Indicates New Capacity and Improved Processes Keep the Industry on the Cutting Edge

MORAGA, California. March 1, 2005: The biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing industry is undergoing significant changes as it matures to a stable and reliable resource for the manufacture of biologics. In addition to the new expression technologies, cell line development, and biomanufacturing platforms offered for mammalian cell culture and microbial fermentation, some contractors are gearing up to produce novel product types that require specific biomanufacturing expertise such as antibody fragments, fusion proteins, antibody drug conjugates, gene therapy, and novel proteins.

The sixth industry study just published by HighTech Business Decisions, Biopharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing 2005: Improved Processes and New Capacity for Pipeline to Commercial Production, reports that in 2004 and 2005, the industry has a slight excess of capacity as new capacity continues to come on-line in and process improvements are being made.

Sandra Fox, president of HighTech Business Decisions, explains, “We spoke with 51 directors of biomanufacturing at pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide, and 33 biopharmaceutical contract manufacturers. The biopharmaceutical CMOs are forging stronger partnerships with some of their clients to solve capacity issues going forward. In addition, several CMOs are working to increase manufacturing efficiencies by increasing yields, improving process development, optimizing media, using more efficient equipment, using better staffing and scheduling tools, streamlining analytics and testing, and solving some of the downstream bottlenecks.”

The market for biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing reached $1.7B in 2004, with healthy growth forecast for 2006. Based on revenues, the top biopharmaceutical CMOs include Avecia Biotechnology, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Cambrex Biopharmaceutical Services, Diosynth Biotechnology, DSM Biologics, Lonza Custom Manufacturing, and Sandoz GmbH.

The report provides an in-depth analysis of the dynamic factors impacting the industry including new equipment and disposable technologies, improved expression levels, increasing competitiveness, changing outsourcing strategies, capacity estimates and forecasts, changes in outsourcing spending and margins, transgenics, biogenerics, and biomanufacturing in low-cost regions. More information on this 850-page report is available at www.hightechdecisions.com

About HighTech Business Decisions
HighTech Business Decisions is a market research firm with expertise in pharmaceutical drug discovery and biomanufacturing technologies. The company’s analysts investigate markets for high tech business-to-business products and services. The company produces in-depth reports focused on leading edge science together with profitable business strategies for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

Contact: Sandra J. Fox, MBA, President
HighTech Business Decisions
(925) 631-0920 tel, (925) 631-0972 fax
email: sfox@hightechdecisions.com
www.hightechdecisions.com