JSR Life Sciences Expands Its European Gene-to-GMP Biologics Manufacturing Facilities for Selexis and KBI Biopharma in Geneva, Switzerland
20.10.2020 14:00:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
JSR Life Sciences, LLC today announced that it is increasing its European footprint with a newly expanded, state-of-the-art facility that will co-locate primary European operations for its affiliate companies KBI Biopharma and Selexis SA. The two companies combined will occupy 8,700 square meters in the Stellar 32 campus within Geneva’s ZIPLO (Industrial Zone Plan-les-Ouates). KBI Biopharma’s expanded facility will enable the Company to offer clinical cGMP biologics bulk drug substance manufacturing for European clients. Selexis’ new workspaces will allow the Company to meet the increasing demand for its highly specialized mammalian cell line development technologies and services. Together, the companies anticipate creating more than 250 new highly technical jobs in the new facilities.
JSR Life Sciences invested in the co-located operations to help meet the needs of its European client base. This arrangement will facilitate additional options for clients to leverage efficiencies for integrating Selexis’ SUREtechnology TM protein expression platform with KBI’s advanced process and analytical development tools.
“JSR Life Sciences is proud to have best-in-class companies focused on translating customers’ ideas into novel biologics that are improving patients’ lives worldwide,” said Tim Lowery, President of JSR Life Sciences. “This strategic investment in our European operations creates new options by linking the core strengths of our affiliates, increases efficiencies, and ultimately accelerates our customers’ ability to bring innovative life science products into the marketplace. In addition, KBI and Selexis will benefit from the extensive biopharma industrial base, advanced technical resources, and specialized education offerings in this region.”
KBI Biopharma’s new 5,600-square-meter biologic bulk drug substance manufacturing facility is scheduled to be operational by mid-2022 and will create more than 200 technical positions in development, operations, and quality assurance. From this facility, KBI will supply customers with cGMP bulk drug substance to meet their clinical trial requirements. The expanded capabilities include two 2,000L single-use cGMP manufacturing trains with process development and analytical testing labs on site. cGMP quality control testing for release and in-process testing will be performed on-site in the new Geneva facility, while cGMP testing of drug substance and drug product stability will remain at the KBI Biopharma BVBA laboratories in Leuven, Belgium.
Selexis’ Geneva footprint will increase by 200% and is scheduled to be operational by mid-2021. The new space will include laboratory, office, health/wellness, and employee common spaces. Throughout the expansion, Selexis has maintained its commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) through investing in a Minergie-certified building (a Swiss building standard aimed at construction with above-average demands on quality, comfort, and energy) with an energy balance 20% better than Swiss recommendations for energy resource and conservation1. Floorplans support the unique technical needs of Selexis cell line workflows, including department-wide segregation and state-of-the-art monitoring systems. In addition to new standard cell line development suites, the new facility will also include two separate cell culture suites to accommodate quarantined client-specific cell lines or client-dedicated cell line spaces.
“This expansion is a cornerstone of our European growth strategy, which builds on Selexis’ innovative cell line technologies and KBI’s strong expertise in biologics manufacturing to meet the needs of our clients’ clinical trial requirements. The new facility allows us to increase engagement with a broader client base with whom we can partner more effectively due to our local presence,” said Dirk Lange, President and CEO of KBI Biopharma and CEO of Selexis SA. “As science progresses, research and treatments become increasingly complex and sophisticated, and we are fully prepared to keep pace with our clients’ needs by providing the latest life science discovery and development technology. Furthermore, by co-locating these operations, the synergies for rapid cell line and process development and introduction to manufacturing will be tremendous, which we see as a true advantage for our client base.”
The Stellar 32 facility remains in the center of highly diversified industrial companies in Geneva. It provides easy access for clients and employees, located close to the A1 Motorway, Geneva Airport, and public transportation including buses, trams, and multiple railways. The location will also provide convenient access to a three-star hotel as well as a restaurant and fitness center.
About JSR Life Sciences, LLC
JSR Life Sciences, LLC is committed to the advancement of human health worldwide as a strategic partner to companies that discover, develop, and deliver products to treat disease and improve the quality of life for patients. Based in Sunnyvale, California, JSR Life Sciences operates a network of manufacturing facilities, R&D labs and sales offices. The JSR Life Sciences family of companies includes Crown Bioscience, KBI Biopharma, Inc., Medical & Biological Laboratories Co., LTD., Selexis SA and other affiliates throughout Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
About KBI Biopharma, Inc.
KBI Biopharma is an award-winning biopharmaceutical contract services organization providing fully integrated, accelerated drug development and biomanufacturing services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies globally. With each of our 300+ client partners, we have worked closely to personalize and rapidly accelerate their drug development programs. Built upon a foundation of world-class analytical capabilities, we deliver efficient process development and clinical and commercial cGMP manufacturing services for mammalian, microbial, and cell therapy programs. We have locations in Durham and Research Triangle Park (NC), Boulder and Louisville (CO), The Woodlands (TX), Geneva, Switzerland, and Leuven, Belgium. More information is available at www.kbibiopharma.com.
About Selexis SA
Selexis SA, a JSR Life Sciences Company, is the global leader in cell line development with best-in-class modular technology and highly specialized solutions that enable the life sciences industry to rapidly discover, develop, and commercialize innovative medicines and vaccines. Our global partners are utilizing Selexis technologies to advance more than 130 drug products in clinical development and the manufacture of eight commercial products. As part of a comprehensive drug development process, the Company’s technologies shorten development timelines and reduce manufacturing risks. More information is available at www.selexis.com.
1 The “Model Regulations of the Cantons in the Energy Sector” (MuKEn) is the “overall package” of energy law model regulations in the building sector that the cantons have jointly developed based on their implementation experience.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201020005340/en/
Contact information
Media Inquiries
Mike Beyer
Sam Brown Inc.
+1 312-961-2502
mikebeyer@sambrown.com
Company Inquiries
Missy Bindseil
JSR North America Holdings, Inc.
JSR Life Sciences, LLC
+1 830-237-9527
mbindseil@jsr-nahq.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
New Research from One Biosciences Shows Single-Cell Profiling Can Identify Which Ovarian Cancer Tumors are Predisposed to Chemotherapy Resistance20.10.2026 14:02:00 EEST | Press release
One Biosciences today announced data showing some ovarian cancer tumor cells are predisposed to resist chemotherapy and single-cell profiling at diagnosis can identify tumor profiles that indicate which patients are likely to experience treatment failure, ultimately enabling more personalized treatment strategies. Researchers from One Biosciences, French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Institut Curie, and Sorbonne Université found that the cellular changes linked to the development of resistance to cytotoxic chemotherapy cannot be explained by DNA mutations alone: the functional and epigenetic state of tumor cells play a key role and initial tumor composition predicts overall survival. The study focused on patients with high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC), the most common and aggressive type of ovarian cancer. The disease has few symptoms, is often identified late and remains difficult to treat, with a five-year survival rate below 40 percent. “Ovarian cancer tumor
IDWS 2026 Brings the World Together to Accelerate the Deployment of Water Solutions20.10.2026 13:38:00 EEST | Press release
Jeddah is preparing to host the fifth edition of the Innovation Driven Water Sustainability Conference (IDWS 2026) from 14 to 16 December 2026. The conference aims to accelerate the transition of water solutions from research and development to real-world deployment, while connecting innovators with investors and end users to strengthen water security, improve service efficiency, and enhance the sustainability of water resources worldwide. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261020192877/en/ Main session from IDWS 2025 (Photo: AETOSWire) The conference will bring together experts, researchers, innovators, investors, and representatives of water-sector organisations from more than 140 countries. It will feature over 250 speakers and is expected to attract more than 10,000 participants, alongside an international exhibition showcasing more than 150 global brands. Eng. Tariq Al-Ghafari, Deputy president for innovatio
European Wealth Firms Build Private Markets Capability Faster Than They Communicate It, Peregrine Report Finds20.10.2026 11:15:00 EEST | Press release
Europe's leading wealth managers have built genuine private markets capability but most have yet to explain it to the clients they built it for, according to The Wealth 30, a new report from Peregrine Communications. The study analyses how 30 leading UK and European wealth managers and private banks position private markets. It concludes that communication, not product, is now the biggest barrier to differentiation in the wealth channel. Capability outpaces explanation 73% of the Wealth 30 engage in private markets yet only 40% operate a dedicated landing page explaining what private markets are, why they matter and how clients can access them. Just 23% combine explainers, a destination and repeatable house-view content. Swiss private banks set the benchmark, supported by house views, outlooks and heritage narratives. Pictet, UBP, Lombard Odier and Julius Baer all back their positioning with repeatable insight content, and Coutts is the clearest UK example. UK firms more often communic
Infobip and Yamaha Power Conversational Customer Engagement in Indonesia’s Automotive Sector20.10.2026 11:00:00 EEST | Press release
Global AI-first cloud communications platform Infobip strengthens its collaboration with Yamaha Indonesia Motor Manufacturing (YIMM) to transform customer engagement through WhatsApp-powered conversational experiences designed to drive stronger personalization and faster customer interactions. As Indonesia’s consumers increasingly adopt digital-first purchasing behaviors, Yamaha Indonesia is evolving how it connects with customers across the buying journey. Today’s motorcycle buyers often research products through Yamaha’s social media, websites, and video reviews on YouTube before visiting dealerships, raising expectations for brands to deliver fast, seamless, and highly personalized communication. For more than two years, Infobip has supported Yamaha Indonesia in building connected customer engagement strategies that integrate WhatsApp across the company’s wider digital ecosystem, including its websites, social media platforms, and customer touchpoints. The collaboration reflects the
Finsei Selects Thredd to Power New Debit Offering20.10.2026 10:00:00 EEST | Press release
Thredd, the AI-first issuer processing platform, today announced a new partnership with Finsei, a London-based payments company, to power the processing infrastructure behind Finsei’s new Mastercard debit offering. The partnership reflects a shared focus on simplifying an increasingly complex payments environment. Businesses operating across markets often rely on multiple providers to manage accounts, payments, foreign exchange, cards and expenses. Finsei is designed to bring those capabilities together, while Thredd provides the underlying payment technology and infrastructure needed to deliver a secure, digital-first debit experience at scale. At launch, physical and virtual cards will be available, followed by both Apple Pay and Google Pay. “Businesses increasingly expect their financial tools to work together rather than operate as a collection of disconnected services,” said Jim McCarthy, CEO of Thredd. “Finsei is building around that expectation, bringing payments, currency manag
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom