Lonza plans to expand payload-linker manufacturing capacity at its Visp, Switzerland, site to meet rising demand in the fast-growing antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) market. The company said the investment will enhance its drug-linker center of excellence and establish new commercial-scale capabilities for highly complex, highly potent active pharmaceutical ingredients (HPAPI) and ADC payload-linkers, strengthening its position as an integrated contract development and manufacturing partner in the ADC space.
The expansion will add new manufacturing capacity within an existing GMP facility at Visp. The buildout will bring additional payload-linker production and purification capabilities together with dedicated analytical and process development laboratories. The facility is designed as a multipurpose, scale-out site, intended to support flexible production of a broad range of payload-linker molecules, with the option to add further suites as customer demand increases.
Lonza said the new capacity will be closely connected to its broader integrated ADC ecosystem in Visp, which includes monoclonal antibody manufacture, conjugation and drug product manufacturing, with drug product capabilities in Visp and Stein, Switzerland. The project is expected to deliver additional quality control capacity able to handle highly potent payload-linker molecules.
The expanded facility is scheduled to be operational in 2028 and will support both clinical and commercial programs. Lonza expects the investment to help customers move more efficiently from development to commercial supply of ADC therapies and to respond to the increasing need for specialized manufacturing capabilities for structurally complex payload-linker molecules.