Cytiva to support Yoshindo biosimilar drug substance production in Japan
Cytiva, a life sciences company headquartered in Marlborough, Massachusetts, has signed a contract with Yoshindo to deploy its modular FlexFactory platform to support domestic biosimilar drug substance manufacturing in Japan.
Yoshindo plans to begin supplying biosimilar products manufactured at its Toyama facility starting in 2028, aiming to strengthen domestic supply of biologic medicines in Japan. The project will use single-use technologies to accelerate facility readiness while maintaining operational flexibility for future manufacturing needs, according to the announcement.
Cytiva’s FlexFactory platform integrates standardized, modular bioprocessing technologies designed to reduce the timeline from facility design to GMP production, particularly for organizations without extensive experience in single-use systems, the company said. A process design phase completed in early 2026 enabled Yoshindo to model operations and forecast key manufacturing requirements.
The facility is expected to support monoclonal antibody biosimilar production and represents a step toward establishing in-house manufacturing capabilities from drug substance through finished product, according to the company.
“We aim to build flexible manufacturing capacity that can support the stable supply of biosimilar medicines for patients in Japan,” Kenzo Shimomura, representative director for Yoshindo, said in a statement.
“By working closely with Yoshindo, we are supporting the adoption of modern manufacturing approaches that can help accelerate biosimilar readiness while strengthening domestic supply resilience,” added Nick Lines, general manager, Cytiva Japan.
The announcement follows Cytiva's recent expansion in the Asia-Pacific region. Last month, the company opened an expanded Fast Trak process development and validation services center in Bengaluru, India, adding 30,000 square feet to support bioprocess development, scale-up, and validation work for biopharmaceutical manufacturers across India and the Asia-Pacific region.