Fujifilm to buy 49% in Texas-based Kalon Biotherapeutics

Japanese photography and imaging company Fujifilm Holdings Corp today said that it is acquiring a 49-per cent stake in Kalon Biotherapeutics LLC, a Texas-based contract manufacturer having expertise in vaccines used against pandemic influenza, Ebola and Anthrax.

Fujifilm, which is also into women's health care, medical systems and biopharmaceuticals, did not reveal the financial terms of the deal, but said that it may increase the stake to 100 per cent based on achievement of certain milestones.

Kalon, owned by the State of Texas and The Texas A&M University System, is subcontractor to one of the three Centres For Innovation In Advanced Development and Manufacturing awarded by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority to develop and manufacture medical countermeasures to protect public health in emergencies, including incidents of bioterrorism or an outbreak of pandemic influenza.

Kalon's strength is in manufacturing vaccines using the technique of mammalian cell culture. It has high containment manufacturing, which contains the viruses used to manufacture vaccines inside production suites, enabling safe, stable manufacture of vaccines to be used as public medical countermeasures against threats such as pandemic influenza, Ebola and Anthrax.

Fujifilm entered biopharmaceutical CMO business by acquiring FDBU and Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies UK Ltd from Merck & Coin 2011 and has been expanding their businesses through the partnership with Mitsubishi Corp.