The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) is pleased to announce 11 new member-led technology, workforce development, and Global Health Fund projects with a value of ~$11.2 million through the Institute’s Project Call 8.1. This new slate of collaborative projects addresses key industry challenges and aims to strengthen domestic biopharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities.
Six projects focus on priority technology areas identified by NIIMBL industry members, including manufacturing platforms for biopharmaceutical products, process analytical technologies, and data science and modeling.
“NIIMBL members are well-positioned to advance current state-of-the-art processes and analytical technologies,” said Sandeep Kedia, NIIMBL Senior Technology Fellow. “We are excited about the potential these projects have to advance our ability to manufacture biologic products and push the boundaries of what is possible in biomanufacturing.”
The slate of new projects also includes three workforce projects aimed at building awareness and talent pipeline development, ensuring the U.S. has the strongest biopharmaceutical workforce globally.
“To meet the industry’s future talent needs, we need to find innovative ways to reach new talent and offer them pathways to begin their careers in the industry,” said John Balchunas, NIIMBL Workforce Director. “The new projects will provide new tools to help us do that.”
The NIIMBL Global Health Fund (GHF) was established with funding contributed by the Gates Foundation to develop and implement innovative technologies to manufacture preventative medical countermeasures and biologics. Two projects funded as part of Project Call 8.1 focus on reducing the cost of goods to manufacture mRNA-based preventative medical countermeasures.
“With mRNA technologies opening the doors for new therapeutics, we are excited by the opportunities these projects provide to lower costs,” said Chris Roberts, NIIMBL Associate Institute Director.
The approximate value of these 11 projects includes NIIMBL funding plus cost share from participating organizations.
Since NIIMBL’s launch in 2017, the Institute has awarded 160 projects with a total investment of more than $134 million. NIIMBL is composed of 200+ member organizations from academia, industry, government, and non-profit organizations with a common goal to advance biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Funding for Project Call 8.1 projects is subject to project award negotiations.
For a description of each project and to learn more about NIIMBL, please visit the Project Call 8.1 page.