Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd.
December 21, 2017
Construction of new spinning plant for PlanovaTM filters
Asahi Kasei Medical will construct a new plant for the spinning of cellulose hollow-fiber membranes for PlanovaTMvirus removal filters in Nobeoka, Miyazaki, Japan, increasing annual production capacity by 40,000 m2/year upon completion in May 2019.
Virus removal filters are used to enhance safety in the production process for biotherapeutic products such as biopharmaceuticals and plasma derivatives. Asahi Kasei Medical has earned wide recognition among customers around the world for the performance and reliability of its virus removal filters—both PlanovaTM cellulose membrane filters, which were launched in 1989 as the world's first filters developed specifically for removing viruses from biotherapeutic products, and PlanovaTM BioEX hydrophilic PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) membrane filters, which provide superior viral clearance in high protein concentration solutions.
With heightened standards throughout the world for the viral safety of biotherapeutics and advances in the development of monoclonal antibodies and other biopharmaceuticals, global demand for PlanovaTM filters is expected to continue on growing. The new spinning plant will enable Asahi Kasei Medical to maintain stable product supply and meet rising demand. Together with a spinning plant for PlanovaTM BioEX filters completed in Oita, Japan, in 2016, the new spinning plant announced today will increase Asahi Kasei Medical’s total production capacity for hollow-fiber virus removal membranes to 130,000 m2/year.
Asahi Kasei Medical will continue to contribute to greater safety of biotherapeutic products by developing high-quality and high-performance products in accordance with market needs, while proactively investing in manufacturing facilities.
Outline of the new spinning plant:
Location: Nobeoka, Miyazaki, Japan*
Capacity: 40,000 m2/year
Groundbreaking: April 2018
Completion: May 2019
* Adjacent to existing facilities for spinning hollow fiber and assembly of PlanovaTM filters
For more information, please contact:
Asahi Kasei Corp.
Corporate Communications
Phone: +81-(0)3-3296-3008
