WuXi Biologics Acquires Bayer's Drug Substance Manufacturing Facility in Wuppertal, Germany

SHANGHAI and WUPPERTAL, Germany, Dec. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- WuXi Biologics (WuXi Biologics, 2269.HK), a global leading open-access technology platform for biologics development and manufacturing, and Bayer today announced an acquisition agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, WuXi Biologics will acquire Bayer’s drug substance manufacturing facility in Wuppertal, Germany, and plans to enter into a long-term sublease agreement and transition service contracts, with a total transaction value of approximately EUR 150 million.

The acquired biologics drug substance manufacturing facility (WuXi Biologics Drug Substance Manufacturing Facility 19, MFG19) covers an area of 30,000 square meters and includes three 1,000-liter perfusion production lines and six 2,000-liter fed-batch production lines, along with independent downstream supporting facilities. This acquisition will further enhance WuXi Biologics’ global supply capacity for COVID-19 vaccines and other biologics. MFG19 will form a strong synergy with the drug product manufacturing facility (DP7) located in Leverkusen, Germany, enabling WuXi Biologics to provide commercial manufacturing services and meet the growing demands of global customers. Both MFG19 and DP7 are expected to commence production within 2021, providing robust support for WuXi Biologics’ European production supply chain.

Dr. Chen Zhisheng, CEO of WuXi Biologics, stated, “As a key link in the European supply chain network, MFG19 will generate strong synergies with WuXi Biologics’ existing manufacturing capacity, further solidifying our ‘Global Dual-Source Manufacturing’ strategy. We will continue to provide high-quality and efficient production services, empowering global partners and benefiting patients worldwide.”

The transaction is still subject to regulatory approval and is expected to be completed in the first half of 2021.

About Bayer

As a multinational corporation, Bayer possesses core competencies in health and nutrition within the life sciences sector. The company is committed to helping people overcome the major challenges posed by global population growth and aging through its products and services, thereby benefiting humanity. Meanwhile, the Group enhances profitability and creates value through technological innovation and business growth. Bayer is dedicated to sustainable development. Worldwide, the Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability, and quality. In the 2019 fiscal year, Bayer had approximately 104,000 employees, with sales amounting to €43.5 billion, capital expenditures of €2.9 billion, and research and development investments of €5.3 billion. For more information, please seewww.bayer.com。

About WuXi Biologics

WuXi Biologics (Stock Code: 2269.HK), as a Hong Kong-listed company, is a globally leading open, integrated biologics technology and manufacturing platform. The company provides comprehensive end-to-end research and development services to global biopharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, enabling any individual or organization to discover, develop, and manufacture biologics. It supports the entire process from concept to commercial production, accelerating global biologics R&D, reducing costs, and ultimately benefiting patients. As of June 30, 2020, there were 286 integrated projects on WuXi Biologics’ platform, including 141 in preclinical stages, 125 in early clinical stages (Phase I and II), 19 in late-stage clinical trials (Phase III), and 1 in commercial production. It is expected that after 2023, the combined production capacity of the company’s planned biologics manufacturing facilities in China, Ireland, the United States, Germany, and Singapore will exceed 280,000 liters. This will strongly ensure the company’s ability to deliver biologics meeting global quality standards to customers through a robust and comprehensive global supply chain network. For more information, please visit:www.wuxibiologics.com。