US-based Biogen has signed a share purchase agreement to sell its biologics manufacturing site in Hillerød, Denmark to Japanese tech company Fujifilm for a cash consideration of up to $890m.

Fujifilm has decided to retain the approximately 800 employees currently working at the Hillerød site.

The Hillerød site consists of a 90,000L biologics production facility with assembly, labelling and packing capabilities, quality control laboratories and warehouses.

The site produces cell culture derived biologics and is expected to boost the capacity and capabilities of Fujifilm.

The facility will become Fujifilm’s fourth biopharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing site.

Fujifilm chairman and CEO Shigetaka Komori said: "This significant investment demonstrates our continued commitment to grow the Bio CDMO Business and become an industry leader by combining resources of Biogen Hillerød and Fujifilm."

Biogen will also sign manufacturing services agreements with Fujifilm, as part of the proposed deal.

"Fujifilm will use the Hillerød site to manufacture commercial products for Biogen, including very active relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) drug Tysabri and additional third-party products."

After the closing of the transaction, Fujifilm will use the Hillerød site to manufacture commercial products for Biogen, including very active relapsing multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri and additional third-party products.

Biogen will continue to operate its manufacturing facilities at Research Triangle Park (RTP), North Carolina in US and Solothurn in Switzerland, which is scheduled to begin operations by the end of 2020.

Biogen CEO Michel Vounatsos said: "As we continue to diversify our portfolio across multiple modalities and bring online our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Solothurn, Switzerland, we believe that we have enhanced our manufacturing capabilities and capacity for biologics with this transaction."

Subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, the transaction is scheduled to be concluded around August this year.

Earlier this month, Biogen entered into an agreement to acquire UK-based gene therapy firm Nightstar Therapeuticsfor a cash consideration of $800m.

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