Interview with... Paolo Tubertini, CEO at Olon Group

1) What inspired Olon to join EuropaBio?
Our mission is to challenge and innovate the way to deliver science, to improve health of human beings. Therefore, Research and Innovation is a key asset of the Group. Olon global strategy is based on developing internal technological platforms, what we have named Innovation Initiatives: it is a long-term programme in which the Group has invested substantial human and economic resources, to explore new technologies or new applications for existing ones. Among them, biotechnology is the greatest focus, and we are significantly investing to expand our biotech platform. Our vision is to offer competencies and services to support innovative biotech companies to accelerate the development of new products, combining it with more sustainable manufacturing approach. As leader of API production, we play a key role in the supply chain of the bio industry. Today we join EuropaBio to give our contribution to share the voice about the importance of promoting and endorsing biotechnologies.

2) How has Olon changed over the years as technologies advance?
In early 2019, Olon acquired Italy-based Capua BioServices S.p.A., a CDMO company highly specialised in microbial manufacturing. Capua BioServices expanded Olon capabilities in the biotech business and allowed us to expand our offer to the food / non-pharma industry. We have also started several projects in microbiological fermentation to develop innovative products, further than innovative process to produce peptides with DNA technology.

With over 50 years of history behind them, today Olon’s biotechnological campus represent one of Europe's greatest centres of experience in the field of biomanufacturing via microbial fermentation; in terms of size and capacity, the Group is one of the leading fermentation companies in Europe.

But it is important to clarify that significant fermentation capacity does not mean high impact on environment. Microbial fermentation is an eco-friendly and highly sustainable process that mostly utilizes just water, natural nutrition, microorganisms. It reduces the use of chemical solvents that are needed, just for few cases, in the purification steps.

3) What are your plans for expansion?
We have recently announced a major expansion of our Italian site located in Settimo Torinese, which is a historical asset of the global manufacturing network of the Group and moreover represents a centre of excellence for bio-manufacturing. The expansion is a key milestone for the site and a cornerstone of the Company strategy that is fostering the development of its biotechnological platform, both in terms of expertise and production capacity.

Olon will build and operate the new area with advanced technologies that, relying on the deep expertise in biomanufacturing, will produce proteins following innovative and highly sustainable processes.

4) How do you see Olon being able to transform the industry of pharmaceutical ingredients?
Just in the last 5 years, the FDA has approved 14 peptides with therapeutic activities. Today, there are around 60 therapeutic peptides under development in the pharmaceutical industry — of which 15 are in phase 3 — in many of the therapeutic areas which undergo the most intensive research and development activities, including oncology, diabetes, and cardiovascular and auto-immune diseases. While Peptides are an extremely promising area of pharmacological research, their production in large scale is very challenging using standard chemical synthesis technology. In order to provide our Partners with innovative and effective solutions, Olon is developing one of most innovative technological platforms in the market, capable of offering extremely high-quality peptides, relying on some of the world’s most extensive expertise in the field of biomanufacturing