i+o plans high-tech insulin facility in China - Contract being signed with Wanbang in Xuzhou

Wanbang - Jan 21, 2010

China’s largest insulin producer Wanbang Biopharma assigned the Heidelberg, Germany based i+o Industrieplanung + Organisation with the general planning of a facility for production, filling and packaging of insulin products. With state-of-the-art technology the insulin facility will produce during the first building stage about 130 Mio units per year, predominantly for exporting to Europe and the USA. In the process the i+o planning team is facing the special challenge that the complete production process needs to adhere to international GMP requirements.

At the province Jiangsu, about 500 km North East of Shanghai, the new pharmaceutical facility will be built on an area of about 8,000 sqm. in which after completion of the building more than 10 different insulin products will be produced. Pre-filled syringes, ready to use with precise dosing, as well as ampullaes and carpoules, pharmaceutical glass packaging to be used e.g. for injection systems, all belong to the product range. In its domestic market Wanbang is, with a market share of 50% the largest insulin producer. The new site will especially be producing for the European as well as for the US American market.

“The decision to build an ultra-modern facility is of outstanding strategic importance”, William Wu, Director at Wanbang Biopharma says. “Therewith we ensure our business expansion in the Asian market and at the same time we can develop new international markets.” Invest for the new pharmaceutical facility sums up to approximately €21 million for the first building stage. The Heidelberg based consulting company i+o was already assigned with the general planning of the first two steps, concept design and draft planning. i+o ensures that all manufacturing processes in the new facility will be organized according to applicable EU and U.S: FDA (Food and Drug Administration) GMP requirements. Wanbang expects the start of construction of the insulin facility for August 2010. The first building step of the facility is to start its productivity at the beginning of 2013.

With regard to the worldwide increasing demand for the diabetes drug insulin, the i+o planning team has designed the new manufacturing facility of Wanbang in a way that capacities can be extended at any time. “We are very proud of supporting Wanbang Biopharma in strengthening its market position,” Dr Frank Hähner says, responsible project manager at i+o. With its office in Shanghai, the consulting company is very well positioned in the fast-growing Asian pharmaceutical market. Already in February 2009, the pharmaceutical giant NCPC entrusted i+o with the general planning of two new antibiotic facilities which shall produce around 7 billion of capsules and 3,5 billion of pills.