The facility is a custom-built bioconjugation facility. It will play a key role in the large-scale manufacturing of Kodiak’s lead therapeutic ingredient, KSI-301. It will support an eventual global commercial launch. Once fully operational and if KSI-301 is approved for commercial use, the facility is expected to have the capacity to supply more than 10 million doses per year.
 
“The inauguration of the Kodiak Sciences production facility confirms and strengthens Valais’ position in the life sciences. I would like to thank Kodiak Sciences for choosing and trusting our canton and its capabilities,” said Christophe Darbellay. This partnership between Kodiak and Lonza has led to a multi-year business collaboration that has created 12 full-time positions at Kodiak Sciences and 70 positions at Lonza.

Kodiak Sciences is building on its core technology, the ABC (Antibody Biopolymer Conjugate) platform, to develop next-generation, long-lasting ophthalmic therapies. KSI-301 is currently being studied in Phase 3 clinical trials to prevent age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema, retinal vein occlusion and non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy. If successful, Kodiak Sciences intends to include the data from these tests in a biologics license application to the U.S. FDA and potentially other global regulatory agencies. Lonza will support Kodiak in scaling up and securing the supply chain.
 
“We are grateful to Lonza, a global leader with the necessary expertise, systems and production capacity. We are also very grateful for the long-standing support of the Municipality of Visp and the Canton of Valais,” said Victor Perlroth, CEO of Kodiak Sciences. Since its move to Visp, Kodiak Sciences has been located at the BioArk in Visp, in the immediate vicinity of the Lonza site.