FUJIFILM to produce drug for Belgian company at Holly Springs plant

FUJIFILM Biotechnologies, a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) for biologics, vaccines and advanced therapies, has another drug lined up for its new production plant in Holly Springs.

Under an expanded agreement with its customer argenx SE, a Belgian biopharmaceutical company, FUJIFILM will produce a drug substance for efgartigimod, argenx’s treatment for severe autoimmune disease, beginning in 2028.

Efgartigimod is a monoclonal antibody fragment that targets a key protein in patients with severe autoimmune disease. It is marketed globally as Vyvgart and Vyvgart Hytrulo for the treatment of adults with generalized myasthenia gravis and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, both chronic autoimmune neuromuscular diseases that cause significant muscle weakness.

Argenx is the first announced tenant in FUJIFILM’S phase two expansion in Holly Springs that will double the plant’s bioreactor capacity for mammalian cell culture.

“By expanding manufacturing in the United States, we will help to meet argenx’s global supply chain needs for efgartigimod,” said Lars Petersen, president and chief executive officer of FUJIFILM Biotechnologies. “We are honored to support the manufacturing of this life-impacting therapy to supply to patients in need.”

With the expanded global manufacturing agreement, argenx will benefit from FUJIFILM’s global kojoX network, which provides standardized equipment and processes at modular manufacturing facilities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Denmark and Japan.

“The kojoX concept enables consistent capabilities across the U.S. and Europe, allowing us to manufacture medicines in the U.S. for American patients while supporting our broader global reach,” said Filip Borgions, chief technology innovation officer for argenx.

The argenx agreement follows other deals recently announced for the Holly Springs plant.

In August, Johnson & Johnson said its Janssen Supply Group subsidiary would establish a 160,000-square-foot dedicated manufacturing facility at the FUJIFILM site, a $2 billion commitment over 10 years.

In April, FUJIFILM signed a 10-year agreement valued at over $3 billion to produce biologic medicines for Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.

Growing presence in N.C.

When construction is finished, the Holly Springs plant will be FUJIFILM’s largest end-to-end cell culture biopharmaceutical CDMO facility in North America. While construction was underway in April 2024, the company announced a $1.2 billion expansion of the facility, bringing the total investment there to over $3.2 billion. 

The investments are expected to grow FUJIFILM’s workforce in Holly Springs to 1,400 employees by 2031, the company said.

The Holly Springs expansion is part of the company’s $7 billion expansion projects underway in the U.S. and Europe. The company employs nearly 5,000 people, mostly at major facilities in the U.S., the United Kingdom and Denmark.

FUJIFILM also operates a multi-product manufacturing facility in Research Triangle Park that performs fermentation, cell culture, recovery, purification and bulk fill. That site is also home to the company’s Bioprocess Innovation Center and related administrative functions.