Bora Biologics expands CDMO operations in San Diego

USA— Bora Biologics, a subsidiary of Tanvex Biopharma that emerged from a spinoff of Bora Pharmaceuticals, is expanding its contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) operations at its San Diego facility.

The expansion project will add 8,075 square feet of production space to the site, significantly increasing its manufacturing capacity.

The enhancements to the new facility will include the installation of two 2,000-litre bioreactors, with design plans that allow for future expansion to accommodate bioreactors of up to 5,000 litres.

This upgrade will enable Bora Biologics to offer customers commercial-scale capacity at the 2,000-liter level, supporting the purification of modern high-titer cell culture processes, according to John Mosack, Bora’s General Manager and Vice President of Operations in San Diego.

This expansion follows Tanvex’s acquisition of Bora’s CDMO business, which was completed in January 2025.

The acquisition was part of a strategic alliance that began in August 2024, when Bora Pharmaceuticals took a 30.5% stake in Tanvex.

Following the deal, Tanvex integrated Bora’s CDMO operations into its own and rebranded the subsidiary as Bora Biologics.

 As part of the agreement, Bora Biologics took ownership of Tanvex’s San Diego production facility, enhancing its footprint in the U.S. market.

Before this acquisition, Bora Pharmaceuticals had been actively expanding its presence in the CDMO sector.

In June 2024, Bora invested approximately US$30 million to acquire Emergent BioSolutions’ fill-finish drug product facility in Baltimore.

This deal came on the heels of Bora’s US$210 million acquisition of Upsher-Smith Laboratories, a Minnesota-based generics manufacturer, in January 2024, marking Bora’s initial entry into the U.S. pharmaceutical market.

Additionally, in 2022, Bora expanded its manufacturing capabilities by acquiring Taiwan-based TWi Pharmaceuticals and Eden Biologics’ CDMO business, further strengthening its global biologics manufacturing platform.

The integration of Tanvex’s FDA-licensed commercial-scale biosimilar manufacturing facility in San Diego with Bora’s biologics development expertise in Taiwan creates a comprehensive end-to-end biologics development and manufacturing solution.

 This combined capability is designed to deliver efficient, cost-effective services to biologics customers worldwide, leveraging over 100 successful current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) manufacturing batches as a testament to its operational strength.

Stephen Lam, CEO of Tanvex, described the acquisition as a pivotal moment that honours the legacy and reputation of the Bora brand while combining it with Tanvex’s U.S. commercialization success and innovative vision for biologics development.

The expanded Bora Biologics is positioned to play a key role in advancing biologics manufacturing globally, offering scalable solutions from early-stage development to commercial production.

Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and beyond. Also, follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.