Big News In Biotech, Lonza Completes Purchase Of Roche’s Vacaville Biologics Site

Lonza, a leading global organization in healthcare development and manufacturing, has successfully completed its acquisition of the Genentech biologics manufacturing facility in Vacaville, California, from Roche for $1.2 billion. This strategic move significantly boosts Lonza’s mammalian manufacturing capacity in the U.S., which is the largest pharmaceutical market in the world.

The Vacaville site establishes a strong commercial manufacturing foothold on the West Coast, just a stone's throw from San Francisco's thriving pharma and biotech scene. This acquisition complements Lonza’s existing manufacturing operations on the East Coast in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, as well as its extensive international presence in Europe and the Asia Pacific region.

The Vacaville site, boasting a total bioreactor capacity of approximately 330,000 litres, ranks among the largest biologics manufacturing facilities globally. This acquisition significantly enhances the manufacturing capabilities for late-stage clinical and commercial products, as well as new molecules progressing towards commercialization within the Lonza network. The site will now operate under Lonza’s Mammalian business unit in the Biologics division, employing over 750 colleagues from Vacaville directly.

This large-scale mammalian manufacturing facility perfectly aligns with Lonza’s continued investments in extensive bioconjugation processes in Visp (Switzerland) and drug product manufacturing in Stein (Switzerland). Together, these developments bolster Lonza's capacity to meet the rising demand for comprehensive, end-to-end manufacturing solutions for complex biologics. 

Lonza is set to invest around CHF 500 million to enhance the facility and expand its capabilities to meet the growing demand for next-generation mammalian biologics therapies. Products that were previously produced at the site will now be supplied to Roche, with guaranteed minimum volumes for the medium term. Over time, these commitments will be gradually phased out as the site shifts its focus to serving new clients.

Wolfgang Wienand, CEO, Lonza, said in a statement, “The successful acquisition of the Vacaville site marks a major milestone for Lonza, and for our commitment to deliver long-term value for our customers and shareholders. As the Vacaville site joins our Biologics division, we look forward to bringing new customer projects into the facility to meet sustained demand for commercial biologics manufacturing across our business. I am also delighted to welcome more than 750 highly skilled Vacaville colleagues into our global team, as they begin a new chapter with Lonza.”