MilliporeSigma Invests $76 Million to Expand ADC Manufacturing for Novel Cancer Therapies
- Triples manufacturing capacity to meet increased global demand for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs)
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Reinforces position as first commercially approved contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) for ADCs in
North America -
Expansion to create 170 jobs at
Bioconjugation Center of Excellence inSt. Louis, Missouri
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The investment represents a critical step in the company’s ongoing growth journey to partner with new and existing clients as they advance their drug development pipelines. With additional capacity and by scaling utilities and enhancing Process and
“We are shaping tomorrow’s cancer care, today. With this investment, we are not just enhancing our capabilities; we are investing in our clients’ success by accelerating innovation and development to ultimately deliver novel therapies to patients more quickly,” said
The ADC capacity expansion project will:
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Upgrade 34,000 square feet to benefit the Process and
Analytical Development , Quality Control, Research and Development, Manufacturing, and Logistics departments. - Add new labs, a dedicated manufacturing buffer preparation facility, and a cold storage and a GMP-controlled room temperature (CRT) warehouse that will be located close to the existing facility.
Building on its reputation as the first commercially approved ADC CDMO in
In addition to recent footprint and capacity expansions, the company continues to innovate differentiated technologies and platforms that accelerate the future potential of this novel modality.
In
With more than 35 years of CDMO experience in the development and manufacturing of ADCs, HPAPIs, linker/payloads, and mAbs,
- Clinical services: Supported more than 60 Investigational New Drugs (INDs), representing ~20% of all ADCs entering clinical trials.
- Commercial services: Supported approximately 50% of commercially approved ADCs with bioconjugation or linker/payload services.
- Integrated services: Leveraged its extensive CDMO experience in viral vector, lipids, LNP, and mRNA manufacturing — from pre-clinical to commercial — helping to accelerate drug development timelines and production with a single, highly experienced partner.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide1. ADCs are one of the most promising drug modalities for cancer treatment. Since 2017, there has been a significant increase in approvals for ADCs. This growth is attributed to advancements in linker and conjugation technologies that improve safety and efficacy, as well as the designation of ADCs as first-line therapies. As a result, confidence in this modality has risen, leading to an annual increase of over 30% in the number of molecules in the global ADC pipeline. As the pipeline matures with continuous and accelerated approvals, the ADC therapeutics market is expected to grow at 15% CAGR by 20282, substantiating this modality’s promise as a targeted novel therapy.
The ability of ADCs to reach and target diseased cells without damaging nearby healthy tissues is also demonstrating significant potential beyond oncology, particularly with innovative bioconjugates like Antibody-Oligonucleotide Conjugates (AOCs) and Radioimmunoconjugates. These bioconjugates are being explored for a variety of applications, including autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders. This expanding scope highlights the transformative role of bioconjugates in advancing personalized medicine across diverse therapeutic areas.
About the Life Science business of
The Life Science business of
Around 63,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people’s lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From providing products and services that accelerate drug development and manufacturing as well as discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2023,
The company holds the global rights to the name and trademark “Merck” internationally. The only exceptions are
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1 “Global Cancer Facts & Figures 4th Edition, https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/global-cancer-facts-and-figures/global-cancer-facts-and-figures-4th-edition.pdf
2 “Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADC) Market - Global Forecast to 2028,” https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/antibody-drug-conjugates-market-122857391.html
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