The demand for disease-treating biopharmaceuticals which often succeed where traditional drug treatments fail, is skyrocketing. Unlike traditional pharmaceutical drugs that are made using chemistry, biopharmaceuticals are made by living cells in a complex manufacturing environment that is still maturing.
A new innovative institute called “The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals” (NIIMBL) will have $70 million in federal investment and at least $129 million from consortium members. This is the first Institute with a focus area to be proposed by industry and the first funded by the Department of Commerce www.commerce.gov.
A consortium composed of companies, educational institutions, research centers, coordinating bodies, non-profits, and Manufacturing Extension Partnerships across the country are going to work together to advance U.S. leadership in biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
The Consortium is establishing a new non-profit organization called USA Bio LLC with the University of Delaware www.udel.edu to administer the cooperative agreement with the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) www.nist.gov.
Biomanufacturing is used to produce many widely used treatments needed for health and medical conditions such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, and infectious diseases however, innovation is need to allow more rapid and flexible production to meet healthcare demands.
The goal is to accelerate innovation in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, develop standards and measurement science for the industry, and create a well-trained workforce for the field’s high paying jobs.
Innovations in biopharmaceutical manufacturing will mean that more patients will have access to the most beneficial therapies. The Institute will also help ensure that the nations can rapidly scale up manufacture of advanced treatments to respond to pandemics and other biological threats, and also eliminate drug shortages that can result from quality control issues in manufacturing.