MICROBIAL FACILITY BREAKS GROUND

Last week, WuXi Biologics announced that it has started construction on a new microbial manufacturing site in the Wenjiang district of Chengdu, China. The new facility will cover 1,023,000 sq. ft. and is designed to help support the production of commercial biologics like peptides, enzymes, plasmid DNA, antibody fragments and other advanced modalities. The site will also exhibit WuXi’s new EffiX™ microbial expression platform, developed to improve output and ensure consistent quality in biologic products. It will also include China’s first dual-chamber lyophilization line, as well as a vial filling line. These features will improve WuXi’s ability to produce and package drug products for global distribution, the company said. Production is expected to begin toward the end of 2026, with the main focus of the site being the manufacturing of lonapegsomatropin, a long-acting growth hormone developed by Visen Pharmaceuticals, which announced its partnership with WuXi with the announcement of the construction of this site. WuXi has also announced a partnership with Virogen Biotechnology to support additional commercial manufacturing at the site. The company has designed the site to be energy-efficient, tracking its carbon footprint, and aims to reduce its environmental impact while expanding its global reach in biologics. 

TIKTOK EXPANDS UK OPERATIONS

TikTok is expanding its operation in the UK with the announcement of a new 135,000-sq.-ft. office in London’s Barbican district. The building is expected to open in early 2026, becoming the social media powerhouse’s second major UK location, along with the company’s UK headquarters in Farringdon, a location that opened in 2022. This development in London marks a significant step in the company’s expansion into the UK, with plans to grow its workforce there to over 3,000 employees by the end of 2025. The platform’s user base in the UK has now surpassed 30 million, making it TikTok’s largest audience in Europe. Company leaders say the expansion demonstrates TikTok’s long-term commitment to the UK, an important hub for TikTok. TikTok launched its UK operations in 2018, and despite its pre-tax loss in 2023 growing to $1.4 billion, its revenue rose to $4.5 billion.

OLYMEL LAUNCHES MAJOR EXPANSION

Olymel, the leader in the production, processing, and distribution of pork and poultry meat in Canada, is expanding its La Fernandière plant in Trois-Rivières with a $142 million construction project starting this month. The upgraded plant will go beyond sausage production to handle a wider range of pork and poultry products. It will also become an all-in-one facility where meat is processed and packaged all in one place. The company expects the site to begin operations in the spring of 2026. This expansion is meant to improve efficiency, reduce transportation of raw materials and increase production. The plant will also introduce new AI-powered technology, including automated machines for slicing, packaging and moving products, as well as smart energy systems and new battery storage. The design includes energy-saving features like water recycling, heat recovery and a new water treatment system. Olymel is also updating workstations to be more user-friendly and easier on employees. At the same time, Olymel will close two nearby facilities and offer those workers jobs at the new plant. Once completed, the company said, the upgraded facility will help Olymel improve production, lower its environmental impact and grow its presence in the Mauricie region of Quebec.

Reports compiled and written by Evan Secor