Icosagen, a Tartu, Estonia-based biotechnology company specializing in therapeutic protein development and manufacturing, has completed a €45 million ($53 million) expansion to integrate discovery, process development, and GMP manufacturing capabilities at a single facility.

The expansion includes a new single-use GMP manufacturing facility designed to support clinical supply production of complex protein therapeutics under European GMP requirements, according to the company.

Icosagen said the expanded site will support biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies through discovery, developability assessment, chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC) development, and Phase I/II GMP manufacturing.

The integrated model combines capabilities including antibody discovery, protein engineering, transient expression, developability assessment, cell line development, upstream and downstream process development, analytical characterization, and GMP manufacturing, according to the company.

The expansion is intended to help developers of complex biologics identify manufacturability risks earlier in development by connecting discovery activities with manufacturing planning. According to the announcement, the approach is designed to reduce development delays and support programs involving complex protein therapeutics, including multispecific antibodies and antibody-derived formats.

Icosagen employs more than 200 scientists and has developed technologies supporting discovery, engineering, expression, purification, and characterization of therapeutic proteins and recombinant biologics.

The expanded facility will reportedly provide pharmaceutical and biotechnology developers with an integrated pathway from early-stage research through clinical manufacturing, reducing the need for transfers between separate development and manufacturing providers.