MilliporeSigma, the U.S. and Canada life science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is expanding its BioReliance biosafety testing laboratory in Singapore to add analytical and biosafety testing capabilities for biopharmaceutical customers in the Asia Pacific region.

The expanded laboratory will be the first BioReliance facility in the region to offer both cell line characterization and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) next-generation sequencing (NGS). It also will provide molecular testing methods including the company's Blazar platform for virus detection.

The expansion will increase the Singapore laboratory’s total area to more than 1,000 square meters. The company said the additional capabilities will support the use of molecular methods and reduce reliance on animal-based testing in biologics quality control.

The Singapore laboratory opened in 2018. MilliporeSigma said the expansion is intended to provide more testing capabilities locally as biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing activity grows across the Asia Pacific region.

The investment follows MilliporeSigma’s expansion of its BioReliance testing network in Europe. In July, the company opened a €25 million ($29 million) biologics testing facility in Darmstadt, Germany, providing commercial release testing and GMP-compliant stability studies for products including monoclonal antibodies and cell therapies.