Capra Biosciences’ $7.5M Project Agreement Sets New Standard In Pharmaceutical Ingredient Production

A significant portion of the ingredients used in pharmaceuticals that Americans depend on are produced abroad. Disruptions in the supply chain or shortages, as seen during the COVID pandemic, can have widespread consequences for millions and pose risks to national security. In response, the White House enacted an Executive Order in 2022 aimed at boosting domestic biomanufacturing. By enhancing U.S. biomanufacturing capabilities, the initiative seeks to gain better control over pharmaceutical production, stimulate economic growth, and promote the development of more sustainable manufacturing practices.

In a recent development, Capra Biosciences has been awarded a $7.5 million, two-year project under the BioMaP-Consortium. This project will showcase Capra's ability to rapidly scale up and produce biologically derived small molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) using its innovative platform. Known for transforming low-cost feedstocks into a range of chemicals—including their first commercial product, retinol—Capra will now use its bioreactor technology to manufacture three selected APIs. The specific APIs will be chosen in collaboration with the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Elizabeth Onderko, Capra’s Co-founder & CEO, “Biomanufacturing has the potential to manufacture many of the chemicals we use today not only more sustainably, but also where and when we need them. This is an extraordinary opportunity to apply the Capra platform to the important issue of pharmaceutical ingredient shortages. We look forward to working with the BioMaP-Consortium, their government sponsors, and our partners to increase pharmaceutical manufacturing accessibility in the U.S.”

Achieving success in producing pharmaceutical ingredients with a unified platform will highlight Capra’s technology's versatility and its ability to efficiently generate a wide range of molecules on a large scale. To tackle the challenge of swiftly integrating and scaling new products, Capra has assembled a consortium of experts, including Next Rung Technology. This team brings a wealth of knowledge in AI modeling, bioprocess scaling, and biomanufacturing. They will utilize AI-driven design tools to quickly develop and integrate each API, while also assessing their feasibility and scalability prior to production.

By employing Capra’s modular bioreactors alongside these advanced models, the team will demonstrate the production of three target APIs on a pilot scale. A key advantage of biomanufacturing is the flexibility to rapidly adapt the same equipment for various pharmaceutical ingredients or other products. Success in this project will provide Capra with a proven framework for efficiently scaling up pharmaceutical ingredients and other products, utilizing their modular platform and locally sourced materials. This initiative is supported by federal funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR); Office of Industrial Base Manufacturing and Supply Chain (IBMSC), under OT number #75A50123D00003.