Richter BioLogics GmbH & Co KG, the microbial biologics affiliate of Gedeon Richter Plc. celebrated the opening of its new cutting-edge biopharmaceutical cGMP facility in Bovenau with an official inauguration ceremony on September 13th.

The new production facility was inaugurated by Daniel Günther, Minister-President of the State of Schleswig-Holstein, Daniel Ambrock, Mayor of Bovenau, on behalf of the Gedeon Richter Group: Erik Bogsch – Lifetime Honorary Chairman, Dale Martin - Member of the Supervisory Board, Dr. Erik Bogsch – Head of the Biotechnology Business Unit and Dr. Kai Pohlmeyer, CEO and Johannes Salzbrunn, COO of Richter Biologics. Guests from local government, authorities and scientific community, together with business partners and employees of Richter BioLogics and Gedeon Richter Plc, celebrated the grand opening.

“Putting the plant into operation represents a major milestone in the implementation of Richter BioLogics' growth strategy. With one of Richter’s largest investments in the last decade, we have positioned ourselves as a key player in meeting global market demand and supplying the global pharmaceutical industry with the highest quality biopharmaceutical products. We also increase our flexibility, one of our biggest and most valued strengths” said Dr. Kai Pohlmeyer, Managing Director at Richter BioLogics.

The cGMP facility is equipped with the latest, cutting-edge technology for clinical and large-scale commercial production and market supply of protein-based and plasmid DNA-based products.

The new multi-purpose GMP facility increases the total manufacturing area to approximately 10,000 square metres. The new 300L and 1500L production lines provide further flexibility to manufacture different products simultaneously, allowing up to 120 batches per year. Additional space is being created for future growth. The facility also includes large laboratories for analytical testing, warehousing and technical areas to optimise the flow of people and materials. By the end of 2024, the number of highly skilled local employees will have doubled to more than 400.

“This investment demonstrates a strong commitment to the future of Richter BioLogics, to innovation and to GMP manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals made in Germany and to Richter’s commitment to biological products. This new facility together with our existing facilities in Hungary provide for a fully integrated R&D and manufacturing biologics capability, allowing for further access to such medicines to patients worldwide” said Dr. Erik Bogsch, Head of the Biotechnology Business Unit of Gedeon Richter.

About Richter BioLogics GmbH & Co KG

Richter BioLogics is a leading Germany-based contract development and cGMP manufacturing organization with its headquarters based in Hamburg. Over the past 35 years Richter BioLogics gained substantial experience in the development and manufacture of different product classes e.g. proteins, antibody-like scaffolds (e.g. Nanobodies), pDNA and vaccines. The company currently operates a development facility and two cGMP manufacturing facilities for microbial production. Richter BioLogics offers highly specialized contract development and manufacturing services to support the global pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries with strain development, process development and supply of products for clinical trials and commercial material. Richter BioLogics works to the highest standards of pharmaceutical quality which has been verified by major regulatory bodies including EMA, FDA, ANVISA, PMDA and MFDS. Due to the close cooperation with its mother company Gedeon Richter Plc, Richter BioLogics also offers services in the areas of mammalian cell-based Drug Substance production and fill and finish. 

About Gedeon Richter Plc.

Gedeon Richter Plc., headquartered in Budapest/Hungary, is a major pharmaceutical company in Central Eastern Europe, with an expanding direct presence in Western Europe, China, Latin America, and Australia. Having reached a market capitalization of EUR 4.3bn (USD 4.7bn) by the end of 2023, Richter's consolidated sales were approximately EUR 2.1bn (USD 2.3bn) during the same year. The product portfolio of Richter covers many important therapeutic areas, including Women's Healthcare, Central Nervous System, and Cardiovascular areas. Having the largest R&D unit in Central Eastern Europe, Richter's original research activity focuses on CNS disorders. With its widely acknowledged steroid chemistry expertise, Richter is a significant player in the Women's Healthcare field worldwide. Richter is active in biosimilar product development, manufacture and commercialisation.