Aragen, a contract research, development, and manufacturing organization headquartered in India, announced it will commence good manufacturing practice (GMP) manufacturing at its biologics facility in Bangalore in late July 2025. The milestone follows successful completion of facility and equipment qualifications that demonstrated the productivity of the company's intensified fed-batch cell culture manufacturing platform.
Advanced Manufacturing Platform Delivers High Productivity
The intensified fed-batch platform has proven capable of delivering titers greater than 25 g/L, positioning Aragen to offer industry-leading cost of goods sold and quality standards. The Bangalore facility houses multiple single-use 2-KL bioreactors configured for both fed-batch and intensified fed-batch production, capable of delivering one batch every four to five days at full capacity.
"The Aragen team has delivered a state-of-the-art facility to enable industry leading COGS and quality," said Subodh Deshmukh, Aragen CEO, Biologics and President, Development. "Our first customer program will progress to GMP production as early as late July this year. The Bangalore manufacturing facility will help seamless transition to GMP manufacturing using not only intensified fed batch production, but also, our proprietary high-yield CHO-GS and CHO-DG44 cell lines."
Flexible Production Configuration Supports Multiple Business Models
The facility's design provides significant operational flexibility, with multiple 2-KL bioreactor units feeding into a single downstream purification suite. This configuration enables Aragen to run multiple client projects simultaneously or rapidly scale a customer's production to commercial quantities. The setup supports both early-stage development programs and commercial manufacturing requirements.
Jamie Cascio, AVP, Biologics, emphasized the facility's strategic importance: "The biologics manufacturing facility in Bangalore marks a significant milestone in Aragen's evolution as an integrated, end-to-end solutions provider. With cutting-edge infrastructure and deep technical expertise under one roof, this facility is designed to seamlessly support our partners from early discovery through to commercial manufacturing."
Integrated Global Biologics Network
The Bangalore facility complements Aragen's existing biologics capabilities at its Morgan Hill, California campus. Together, these sites will offer comprehensive integrated services including cell line development, process and analytical development, quality control, and GMP manufacturing of monoclonal antibodies, biosimilars, and other recombinant proteins. The California site currently provides non-GMP manufacturing for batches ranging from 1L to 50L across six separate suites.
Aragen's track record includes completion of more than 200 cell line development projects, with over 100 of those cell lines advancing to clinical trials following successful IND filings. Several Aragen-developed cell lines are currently used by clients for manufacturing marketed products in the US and worldwide.
Strategic Timing Aligns with Market Growth
The facility launch comes at a strategic time for the Indian CRDMO sector. A February 2025 report from Boston Consulting Group and Innovative Pharmaceutical Services Organization projected that India's CRDMO sector has the potential to grow to between $22 billion and $25 billion by 2035.
"The shift in global pharma outsourcing, the rapid rise of biologics, and India's expertise in chemistry and process innovation create a once-in-a-generation opportunity," said Manni Kantipudi, CEO and whole-time director of Aragen Life Sciences Ltd. "However, to compete at a global level, Indian CRDMOs must not only scale capabilities in new modalities like ADCs, cell and gene therapies, and RNA therapeutics but also work together to build a resilient supply chain and streamline regulatory pathways."
The Bangalore facility represents a $30 million investment announced in October 2023, reflecting Aragen's commitment to expanding its biologics manufacturing capabilities to meet growing global demand for contract development and manufacturing services.
