Asahi Kasei Plans Construction of New Spinning Plant in Japan for Production of Its Planova Virus Removal Filters

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Asahi Kasei Life Science, a division of Asahi Kasei, announced on July 29, 2025 that it plans to construct a new spinning plant in Nobeoka City, Miyazaki, Japan, to expand production for its Planova line of virus removal filters. The new facility will manufacture hollow-fiber cellulose membrane filters and will be the company’s fourth spinning plant for this purpose. The company expects to begin construction next summer in July 2026, and operations are slated to start up in January 2030 (1).

The expansion is backed by a grant from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) and aligns with Asahi Kasei’s medium-term management plan, coined “Trailblaze Together,” which the company announced in April 2025 (2). The management plan pinpoints the Life Science business as a key driver of future growth for the company. Using this management plant, Asahi Kasei will continue a path of structural transformation and aims to pursue carefully selected investments in strategic growth fields (2).

“This new plant reinforces the momentum behind our newly established Life Science business,” said Yusuke Kanazawa, head of the Bioprocess Division at Asahi Kasei Life Science, in a company press release (1). “It demonstrates Asahi Kasei’s commitment to making strategic investments while responding to rising global demand for virus filtration.”

According to a market research report, the global biopharmaceuticals market is projected to exceed $500 billion by 2032 and have a compound annual growth of 8.2% from 2022 to 2032 (3). The report points to a number of factors that are driving the growth of the global biopharma market, including a geriatric population and an increase in the frequency of chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Another factor expected to drive growth is the emergence of strategic collaborations between biopharmaceutical firms (3).

Asahi Kasei expects that the global biopharma market growth will drive a sharp increase in demand for the development and commercialization of new drugs, which in turn will result in the need for virus removal filters essential in manufacturing biologics (1).

Under the strong market growth projections, Planova is well-positioned in the virus filtration sector for plasma-derived therapeutics and biologics. With the new plant, Asahi Kasei expects to significantly expand its production capacity to meet the accelerating global demand. The company plans to focus on the production of Planova filters S20N, 15N, 20N, 35N, and 75N. In addition, this capacity expansion is a strategic investment for meeting future demand, enhancing global supply chain resilience, and reinforcing Planova’s position in the bioprocessing market.

“This project was selected under METI’s Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Project, which supports the development of domestic infrastructure critical for vaccine production during public health emergencies. Through this government-backed initiative, we are strengthening our supply resilience and enhancing our competitiveness in the global biopharmaceutical market,” said Kanazawa in the release.

Regarding the biopharmaceuticals market, a few key takeaways from the market research report include the expectation that monoclonal antibodies will dominate the market from 2023 to 2032 and the importance of the oncology segment, which held the largest market share in 2022. North America dominated the market in 2022, accounting for 43% revenue share, attributed to government initiatives and healthcare investments. Europe accounted for 23% of the market’s revenue share in 2022. Meanwhile, the Asia Pacific region is expected to grow significantly on the back of a large population and government initiatives in healthcare (3).

References

1. Asahi Kasei. Asahi Kasei Expands Planova Production with New Spinning Plant, Strengthening Life Science’s Global Bioprocess Supply Capabilities. Press Release. July 29, 2025.
2. Asahi Kasei. Asahi Kasei Launches “Trailblaze Together” Medium-Term Management Plan for Fiscal 2025–2027. Press Release. April 10, 2025.
3. Market.us. Global Biopharmaceuticals Market by Type (Erythropoietin, Hormone, Growth & Coagulation Factor), by Application (Oncology, Neurological Disease, Metabolic Disease), by Region and Companies – Industry Segment Outlook, Market Assessment, Competition Scenario, Trends and Forecast 2023-2032. Market Research Report (October 2023).