R&D
Lonza launches Singapore Media Development Lab to cut biomanufacturing risk
The move comes as drug developers face mounting pressure from faster timelines and increasingly complex manufacturing processes
- By IPP Bureau
| March 27, 2026
Image © Lonza: With the Media Development Lab Service, data?supported insights help ensure media formulations are aligned for scalable production
Global CDMO giant Lonza has unveiled a new Media Development Lab at its Singapore facility, aiming to tackle one of bioprocessing’s most persistent bottlenecks: risky, late-stage scale-ups.
The move comes as drug developers face mounting pressure from faster timelines and increasingly complex manufacturing processes—factors that are driving up both costs and failure risks. Industry-wide, many companies still struggle with inconsistent media optimization and a disconnect between early development and full-scale production.
Lonza’s new lab is designed to close that gap.
The facility introduces a structured, early-stage approach to media optimization, integrating scalability, raw material readiness, and GMP manufacturability from the outset. Using advanced Design of Experiments methodologies, the lab can analyze multiple variables at once—pinpointing key performance drivers faster and cutting down on costly trial-and-error cycles.
By combining its proprietary media and feed libraries with manufacturing insights, Lonza aims to help customers lock in robust, scalable formulations earlier—reducing downstream surprises and strengthening supply readiness.
Michael Goetter, Head of Bioscience, Specialized Modalities, Lonza, commented: "We are committed to providing customers with the services they need to reduce early-stage risk and select media formulations that are effective at a laboratory scale and simultaneously practical and reliable in manufacturing.
"Our new Media Development Lab enables us to support customers at the critical front end of their programs, shape formulation strategy, and create a natural pathway into non-GMP and GMP manufacturing."
