STA, 24 May 2020 - Bia Separations, a biotechnology company based in Ajdovščina, is to expand its production facilities in Ajdovščina and Italy's Gorizia. The company's investment plans to launch production in the US have been put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, however Bia Separations will go ahead with them as soon as possible.
The company, a world leader in the development of purification processes for biologics, in particular for gene therapy, will expand its production due to increased demand.
The European Medicines Agency has recently recommended granting a conditional marketing authorisation in the EU for a gene therapy medication used to treat spinal muscular atrophy. Helping produce the medication, Bia Separations will have to step up its production capacities.
Related: Biotech Firm Bia Separations Biotech Expands in Slovenia, US & Canada
Moreover, a major investment project planned for the US, the company's main market, will be realised as quickly as possible, Aleš Štrancar, Bia Separations CEO, has told the STA.
The investment has been delayed for at least a few months due to extreme circumstances and air travel restrictions, however there is still plenty of time for its realisation since a production facility in the US is planned to be completed by the end of 2023.
Meanwhile, efforts to expand production in Ajdovščina are underway.
"When one of the projects aiming to find a vaccine for the novel coronavirus is green-lit, the company will most probably have to quickly increase its production capacities," said Štrancar, adding that Ajdovščina was an ideal place to enable such a swift expansion.
Most of Bia Separations's customers come from the US and they strive to secure the potential vaccine for US citizens first. The company is part of quite a few such efforts and estimates that at least one of them will be successful.
Moreover, the company is cooperating with a couple of European partners taking part in the race to find the vaccine and is also part of a Slovenian effort.
An investment project in Gorizia has been launched as well with construction works expected to start next year. The company's new programme is to be developed there.
Bia Separations currently helps eight companies with developing the coronavirus vaccine. The company provides purification processes for potential vaccines or medications and assistance in setting up production lines, but it does not actually work on developing vaccines or medications, said Štrancar.
