In a move to strengthen America’s health security, Manus, the proven bioalternatives scale-up platform, today announced an expanded partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Center for Industrial Base Management and Supply Chain (IBMSC), which is part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR). Building on a previous $32.4 million award, this expansion adds another $15 million to enable domestic production of shikimic acid, a key starting material for oseltamivir, the active ingredient in Tamiflu. It marks a critical investment to strengthen U.S. supply resilience and reduce frequent flu-season shortages of oseltamivir. The milestone will be marked by a visit to the Manus Augusta BioFacility tomorrow by government officials, including Mark O'Neill, Chief of Staff for ASPR.

This initiative directly confronts a significant national security vulnerability: over 80% of the key ingredients for America’s essential medicines are manufactured or sourced from overseas, primarily in China and India. By enabling domestic production capabilities for a vital material, this partnership reduces U.S. dependence on volatile foreign supply chains.

“We’re honored to receive this funding through HHS’ DPA Title III program, which will help expand domestic production of critical medicines,” says Ajikumar “Aji” Parayil, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Manus. “Manus’ proven scale-up platform has the potential to secure domestic production of more than 50 essential medicines, supporting a broader bioalternative approach to strengthen the nation’s pharmaceutical supply chain. This award enables another tangible step forward.”

The funding is provided through the HHS Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III Program, which makes targeted investments to restore domestic industrial base capabilities essential for responding to public health emergencies.

Advanced biomanufacturing initiative seeks to cut U.S. reliance on foreign pharmaceutical supply chains

The new funding will support installation of an additional large-scale fermentation line at Manus’ BioFacility in Augusta, Georgia, expanding critical manufacturing capabilities on U.S. soil. 

“Rather than replicating outdated foreign manufacturing practices, we’re deploying next-generation American technology,” says Christine Santos, Manus’ Chief Technology Officer. “Using advanced biology and precision fermentation, we engineer microorganisms into highly efficient ‘cell factories’ that can produce critical bioalternative ingredients and inputs domestically.”

This expanded federal partnership reinforces Manus’ role as a leader in bridging the “Valley of Death” between lab-scale innovation and industrial-scale manufacturing. It is a tangible demonstration of how next-generation biomanufacturing is rebuilding America’s industrial base, securing the health of its citizens, and ensuring the U.S. leads the world in the technologies of the future.

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