Two young biotech companies, Q-Biologicals and SEPS Pharma, have launched a GMP facility (a facility that allows the production of clinical drug candidates) in collaboration with VIB (Flanders Institute for Biotechnology). According to the partners involved, this is a huge asset for the Flemish biotech sector. The infrastructure opened officially in the Technology Park in Zwijnaarde (Ghent) in the presence of the Flemish Minister of Innovation, Philippe Muyters.
New drugs have to be produced under very strict conditions. The products must be effective, sterile and stable, and they must also be free of contamination. A GMP facility fulfills these requirements, but is mostly only available in large pharmaceutical companies. Now two young companies also have access to such a facility, thanks to the partnership. VIB, Q-Biologicals and SEPS Pharma jointly invested 1.5 million euros in the new infrastructure.