US-based Catalent, the global leader in enabling biopharma, cell, gene, and consumer health partners to optimize development, launch, and supply of better patient treatments across multiple modalities, has announced that it plans to expand its Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone (FTZ) facility in Shanghai, China, to increase capacity for temperature-controlled storage and distribution of clinical supplies, as well as additional secondary packaging capabilities.

The facility will be expanded by approximately 30,000 square feet (approximately 2,800 square meters), which will double the clinical storage capacity and allow the installation of additional refrigerated (between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius) and deep-frozen (between minus 70 and minus 90 degrees Celsius) storage. The expansion and commissioning are expected to be completed by mid-2022.

The Waigaoqiao facility is one of two clinical supply facilities that Catalent operates in Shanghai, the other being located in Tangzhen, outside the FTZ. Together, they provide sponsors with optimized supply solutions for studies being undertaken in China, and through Catalent’s extensive network, the Asia-Pacific region and globally, including clinical supply management, comparator sourcing, FastChain® demand-led supply, primary and secondary packaging, storage, and global distribution, as well as clinical returns and destruction.