Cell culture solutions provider Gemini Bioproducts (Gemini Bio) opened its new manufacturing facility in West Sacramento, California, US, in June 2020.
The facility will allow Gemini Bio to satisfy the demands of cell therapy and research markets while meeting the criteria of global regulatory compliance.
Gemini Bio’s cGMP-compliant manufacturing centre will expand the company’s production capabilities, enabling it to serve the needs of its pharmaceutical partners.
The ground-breaking ceremony of the manufacturing facility was held in September 2019.
Location of Gemini Bio’s new manufacturing facility
The new cGMP manufacturing facility is located in West Sacramento, California in the US, extending over an area of approximately 25,000ft².
Gemini Bio’s new manufacturing facility details
Gemini Bio’s facility will support the production of cell culture media, sera, cytokines (humans, mouse or rat), growth factors, buffers and other supplement reagents with products for the cell therapy and gene therapy.
It is equipped with cleanroom suites, cold storage facilities, warehouses and administrative area. The additional production will deliver a fourfold increase in the company’s production capacity.
The facility will allow for rapid growth and development while improving the quality level of Gemini Bio’s products.
Gemini Bio intends to be a centre of excellence supporting the requirements of customers in the cell and gene therapy market.
It is relocating to the new facility from its existing 12,000ft² location in West Sacramento.
Contractor involved in the project
MarketOne Builders, a design-build contractor, and architecture firm DGA worked on the design and construction of the new manufacturing facility in West Sacramento.
Covid-19 support
In June 2020, Gemini Bioproducts received a contract worth $3.6m from the US government to deliver essential products to boost Covid-19 testing efforts. The award is a part of the broader commitment of Gemini Bio to support Covid-19 containment.
Gemini Bio will provide reagents in the Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS), Saline Solution and Viral Transport Media (VTM) areas and will utilise its facility to support the initiative.
Development of media solutions is a primary focus area of the firm. VTM is important to the coronavirus testing process and the company will support measures to increase testing.
The company is mainly targeting the delivery of its products and solutions in the areas of cell culture, viral harvesting and transport, analytical instruments and research tools. Gemini Bio is complying with the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) throughout its manufacturing processes.
Marketing commentary on Gemini Bioproducts
Gemini Bioproducts provides cell culture technologies to scientific organisations involved in cell and gene therapy, biotechnology, biopharma and academic research.
The company also provides contract manufacturing services and regulatory consultancy services to its clients. It aims to offer holistic solutions for cell culture to facilitate the discovery and manufacturing of therapies. The state-of-the-art facility will provide services such as fill and finish, and the development of custom media.
BelHealth Investment Partners, a healthcare-focused private equity company, invested in Gemini Bio in September 2018.
Founded in 1985, Gemini Bio is headquartered in West Sacramento, California. Gemini has a global distribution network that services cell culture laboratories across the world.
It purchased life sciences instrumentation firm ORFLO Technologies in November 2019. The acquisition added Moxi Go and Moxi Z products to Gemini Bio’s portfolio. The company also formed an exclusive partnership with FroggaBio, under which the latter has the rights to distribute the media and sera products of Gemini Bio across Canada.