Arven Pharmaceuticals, a Toksoz Group Company, has selected GE Healthcare’s FlexFactory manufacturing platform to expand production capacity at its facility in Kirklareli, Turkey.
Using this expanded capacity, Arven will attempt to faster provide local healthcare needs for biopharmaceuticals in the Turkish and surrounding markets.
The company also hope to open up European markets through the FlexFactory’s track record in meeting global regulations and quality standards.
Europe’s seventh largest pharmaceutical market, Turkey plans to further grow and transform its healthcare sector, reaching 60% local production for its pharmaceutical medicines by 2023.
Sven Henrichwark, General Manager, Global Commercial BioProcess at GE Healthcare Life Sciences, said:
“Turkey’s desire to boost local manufacturing capacity is an industry need we are hearing echoed across the globe.
"Local production capability is a crucial element in providing national healthcare systems with the vital medicines to address growing patient needs.”
“We are excited to contribute to Arven’s development by delivering a robust and flexible biomanufacturing solution, that also includes final qualification and training.”
Arven has opted to expand its production capacity in Turkey with GE’s FlexFactory platform, which is based on integrated single-use technologies enabling flexible and efficient biomanufacturing operations.
The resulting productivity improvements will support Arven’s biosimilars pipeline moving through the clinic to regulatory approval.
Irem Yenice, Head of Biotechnology and R&D Director, at Arven Pharmaceuticals, said:
“Turkey has been focusing on local production of biotechnological products. We believe that business opportunities among the companies will increase by utilising single use technologies.”
“We used a range of different criteria to make our decision to employ single use systems for mammalian cell-based bioproduction.”
“This included flexibility of systems, strength of local organisation, technical support, speed, and collaborative work structure.”
“The project evaluation time was long enough to assess GE regarding our needs for biosimilar development and production.”
GE opened their Fast Trak Service Center in Istanbul in March 2016, based in GE’s Turkey Innovation Center.
