WATERTOWN, Mass., Nov. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Arranta Bio (“Arranta”), a leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) supporting advanced therapy pioneers, today announced the completion of the sale of its process development and GMP clinical manufacturing site in Gainesville, Florida, to Inceptor Bio and the transfer of client programs and key technical employees to Arranta’s Watertown, MA facility.

“We are delighted that Inceptor Bio will build on the foundation that we established in Gainesville and wish them every success in developing life-saving cell therapy products,” said Mark Bamforth, executive chair and CEO at Arranta, “and we are thrilled to continue to build and expand Arranta’s commercial-ready manufacturing team in Massachusetts, the global hub for biosciences.”

Arranta’s Watertown facility now has a team of over 160 employees focused on supporting microbiome clients, establishing messenger RNA vaccine capabilities, and manufacturing critical starting materials.

Arranta has established a strong microbiome platform including proprietary media and cryopresevative formulations to maximize yields and enhance viability for live biopharmaceutical products that clients are testing in the clinic against a range of infectious, inflammatory, neurological, and oncology diseases.

In addition, Arranta is progressing the establishment of end-to-end mRNA capabilities that were announced recently and expects to begin laboratory-scale operations in January and to have starting materials, mRNA, lipid nanoparticle formulation, and a robotic sterile fill line installed in Watertown by the end of Q2 2022.

Arranta recently received permitting approval to progress the first build-out phase of laboratory and GMP capacity establishment at a second commercial-ready site in Boxborough, MA, which will be completed by mid-2022. “With over 200,000 ft² of facilities in Watertown and Boxborough and over $150 million committed to building state-of-the-art facilities, Arranta has the capacity to respond to client needs for complex biopharmaceutical products that will change the lives of patients,”  said David Stevens, President and COO at Arranta.

Watertown, Massachusetts (USA) – September 23, 2021: Arranta Bio (“Arranta”), a leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) supporting advanced therapy pioneers, today announced plans to establish contract manufacturing capacity for messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. Arranta will offer the first end-to-end platform for full integration of cGMP manufacturing of critical raw materials, in-vitro transcription, mRNA purification, LNP formulation and sterile fill/finish all within its Watertown, MA facility. Arranta intends to support product innovators using an mRNA platform to develop vaccines, for example, vaccines targeting infectious diseases, as well as therapeutic vaccines, such as those targeting cancer.

mRNA vaccines are a relatively new class of vaccines. Prophylactic vaccines have been recently validated with the successful commercialization of COVID-19 vaccines, while therapeutic immuno-oncology focused vaccines offer significant promise to cancer patients.  This latter class of mRNA vaccines works by encoding single or multiple tumor antigens that stimulate a specific immune response and produce anti-tumoral immunity.

“Arranta Bio is building a team with deep expertise in analytical and process development, and GMP manufacturing to support clients in this cutting-edge sector that is poised to transform vaccines for infectious diseases and cancer treatments” said Mark Bamforth, Executive Chair and CEO of Arranta. “We are delighted to be able to expand access to provide best-in-class mRNA capacity with the first end-to-end platform in a single facility. Arranta’s leadership team has a track-record of establishing commercial facilities and has supported successful FDA approvals for dozens of biopharmaceutical products and are committed to support mRNA vaccine innovators.”

In 2020, Arranta completed the built-out and commissioning of an 80,000ft² commercial-ready facility in Watertown, MA, with Grade C (ISO 7) clean rooms, which are suitable for the production of mRNA, lipid nanoparticle formulation, and sterile fill/finish into vials within isolator technology. Arranta will have drug substance process development and formulation development capacity in place by the end of 2021 in existing laboratories and GMP clinical manufacturing by early 2022 from existing clean rooms which are already qualified. Integrated isolator technology will be installed and operational in the second half of 2022 to complete the end-to-end platform. Additional suites are available to meet client needs, including dedicated custom capacity options.

Arranta has an established bacterial manufacturing platform for live bacterial pharmaceuticals (LBPs) targeting the human microbiome, and for fermented starting materials for use in advanced mRNA vaccines.

Arranta has deep experience and continues to invest in capabilities, following an initial $100M spend in the fit-out of world class, commercial-ready facilities and in building a deeply experienced team. Arranta is proud to be a leading CDMO focused on supporting the supply needs of these varied innovator companies.

About Arranta Bio

Founded in 2019, Arranta Bio is a visionary contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) that partners with companies seeking to develop and manufacture complex biological drugs and innovative therapies. Our dedicated team, state-of-the-art facilities, and unparalleled resources are crucial for advancing products from development to commercial launch. Arranta Bio continues to expand capacity and development and manufacturing services across multiple sites with technology platforms designed to meet the evolving demands of our clients and partners. Additional information about Arranta Bio is available at www.arrantabio.com

About Ampersand Capital Partners

Founded in 1988, Ampersand is a middle market private equity firm with more than $2 billion of assets under management dedicated to growth-oriented investments in the healthcare sector.  With offices in Boston and Amsterdam, Ampersand leverages its unique blend of private equity and operating experience to build value and drive superior long-term performance alongside its portfolio company management teams. Ampersand has helped build numerous market-leading companies across each of the firm’s core healthcare sectors. Additional information about Ampersand is available at www.ampersandcapital.com.

Arranta Bio (“Arranta”), the leading microbiome contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), today announced the addition of a 130,000-square-feet facility in Boxborough, Massachusetts, to complement its existing facilities in Watertown, Massachusetts and Gainesville, Florida, bringing the total manufacturing capacity at Arranta to over 230,000 square feet. Arranta closed an oversubscribed Series B equity financing from its current investors to fund the expansion.

The Boxborough site will be developed in phases, and work for the first two phases has begun; the total investment in Boxborough is expected to exceed $150 million and employ over 250 employees, with the first phases of construction underway and start-up of GMP suites expected early in 2022. The facility is designed to flexibly support clients, including dedicated lab and GMP capacity that can support commercial products or a pipeline of products for a client. The GMP manufacturing suites are designed to be flexible in scale, size and design to accommodate client and product-specific processing requirements for both drug substance and finished drug product. Initial multi-client capacity will include up to multiple 2,000L scale single-use bioreactors for anaerobic bacteria or 1,000L scale single-use fermenters for aerobic bacteria and fully automated drug product manufacturing. Additionally, Arranta plans to add secondary packaging and labeling capabilities at the facility.  

“We are excited by the recent clinical results that demonstrate the potential of microbiome therapies to positively impact patient outcomes in a broad range of diseases,” Mark Bamforth, Executive Chair and CEO of Arranta Bio, said. “This new facility demonstrates Arranta’s commitment to support the increasing maturity of the microbiome live biotherapeutic product sector by offering innovators best-in-class development and GMP manufacturing capabilities that support their programs from lab to market.”

“In discussions with leading microbiome innovators, we see strong interest in dedicated client capacity and new manufacturing capabilities to meet the commercial supply needs of this sector,” David Stevens, President and COO of Arranta Bio, said. “We are continuing to expand our organization, adding experience and skills to meet clients’ needs, and expect to have over 200 on our team by the end of 2021 and up to 500 employees once fully staffed.”

Arranta invested more than $100 million in 2020 to expand its process development and early clinical GMP supply capacity at its campus in Gainesville, and established a state-of-the-art, multi-product, commercial-ready manufacturing facility in Watertown. The Watertown facility was completed at the end of 2020 and is now being commissioned to supply live biotherapeutic products (LBPs) to microbiome innovator companies.

“We are delighted to have the continued support and enthusiasm of our existing shareholders, who over-subscribed in a Series B equity financing round, which will be used to fund the initial build-out and start-up of the Boxborough facility and to fuel additional long-term growth for Arranta,” said Steven Favaloro, CFO at Arranta Bio. The amount raised was not disclosed.

About 400 companies are actively exploring the linkage between diseases and the microbiome – millions of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses that live inside and on the human body – in order to identify therapeutic targets. Scientists have called the microbiome the second genome. In fact, the number of genes in the microbes making up one person’s microbiome is estimated to be at least 200 times the number in the human genome.

In the past decade, the industry has experienced a rapid acceleration in scientific understanding of the composition and functions of gut microbiota. Arranta is proud to be the leading CDMO focused on supporting the supply needs of these innovator companies.

Arranta Bio recently announced the launch of a corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, Arranta Bio Cares, and appointed Susan Surabian as the initiative’s leader. 

As a champion of diversity and inclusion from its inception, the company’s CSR program will continue to prioritize efforts promoting Arranta Bio Cares’ core pillars. Firstly, the company is striving for a welcoming, diverse culture that fosters racial, social and gender equality. Next, we are strengthening local communities in MA and FL by encouraging employees to volunteer and donate. Finally, we encourage choosing vendors and partners that align with the company’s vision for sustainability.  

Mark Bamforth, President and CEO at Arranta said “It is too easy to feel helpless in the face of systemic racism and disparity in our society. As a result, it is vital that every organization commits to tack these issues by opening doors for those from minority and disadvantaged communities to forge a fulfilling, life-long career in the life sciences. We are committed to living the values that will make a meaningful, sustained change at Arranta.”

CSR Program Leadership

As an early leader of community outreach and advocate of inclusion at Arranta Bio, Susan was a natural choice to lead the CSR Program, Arranta Bio Cares. Susan’s beliefs extend past her workplace and permeate every facet of her life. 

“Without a parallel evolution of each individuals’ responsible behaviors, CSR program  corporate strategies cannot be a reality,” Susan said. “For the last 10 years, I’ve focused on community outreach and volunteering with a goal to spread kindness and equality with steady perseverance. I’ve practiced this in a variety of ways: Firstly, I am antiracist and stand up for diversity and inclusion by participating in events, signing petitions, and partnering with school systems; Secondly, I focus on protecting our environment by purchasing sustainable products, clothing, and cutting back on personal waste. Finally, I choose organic foods and partner with organizations that can both make an impact and educate others about how our food choices affect our bodies and planet.” 

Susan believes that consistency in the workplace and in employees’ everyday lives is key to improving the future of the life sciences industry and beyond.

Arranta has donated to local pantries and community help organizations through the pandemic, supported STEM education organizations in FL and MA, and worked with Life Science Cares and Year Up to make an impact in our communities. 

An employee-led advocacy team is assisting Susan in planning, community outreach, and diversity and inclusion activities. Arranta Bio Cares will have additional executive support from Lana Gladstein, Chief Legal Officer and general counsel. 

To learn more about Arranta Bio Cares and our partner organizations, visit arrantabio.com/cares.