EPCMV specialist, IPS, and its subsidiary the Cardinal Group, have been chosen for the new Tonix Pharmaceuticals Advanced Development Center (ADC). The turnkey integrated design-build project is for a 45,000 sqft facility.
The Cardinal Group was awarded the project based on an integrated delivery approach, with IPS as the Engineer of Record. Their combined technical expertise and experience is critical to the success of this aggressive schedule-driven project.
IPS developed an integrated delivery approach to match the technical expertise and experience required to deliver the project with the quickest delivery schedule possible. This accelerated project schedule will produce a new development and cGMP manufacturing facility that uses viral vaccine processing.
Tonix expects the facility to be operational in the first half of 2022.
The ADC is intended to be biosafety level 2
This facility includes single-use bioreactors and purification suites with equipment for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) production of vaccines for clinical trials. When fully operational, it will have the capability of producing sterile vaccines in glass bottles.
In addition, the facility will have research, development, and supporting analytical capabilities.
The ADC is intended to be biosafety level 2 (BSL-2). At full capacity, the facility can employ up to 70 researchers, scientists, manufacturing and technical support staff.
A special project
This project is unique as Tonix is a virtual company and this project is their first facility of this type. IPS-Cardinal was selected because Tonix required a partner who could deliver the entire turnkey project with minimal oversight and could meet their aggressive schedule and speed to market delivery. To meet the challenge, IPS-Cardinal provided an integrated design-build solution.
"We are excited to have taken the first step in vertically integrating more of our development activities, but, even more importantly, adding a manufacturing capability for clinical trial quality vaccines. We believe this provides Tonix with a competitive advantage, especially in the current COVID-19 environment in which more domestic development and manufacturing capacity is needed," said Seth Lederman, Tonix President and CEO.
This groundbreaking ceremony marks the start of a successful partnership between IPS-Cardinal and Tonix Pharmaceuticals. IPS-Cardinal has partnered on several fast-track, technically complex projects and looks forward to further growth in the Northeast to support the biopharma industry.