News Releases 2026
Apr. 27, 2026
Chugai Pharma Manufacturing's FJ3 Project, designed and constructed by JGC JAPAN CORPORATION, awarded "Honorable Mention" in the 2026 FOYA by the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE)
JGC Holdings Corporation (Masayuki Sato, CEO) announced that the FJ3 Project for Chugai Pharma Manufacturing Co., Ltd. ("Chugai Pharma Manufacturing"), designed and constructed by domestic EPC subsidiary JGC JAPAN CORPORATION (Yasuharu Yamaguchi, CEO, hereinafter "JGC"), has been awarded "Honorable Mention" in the global and highly prestigious Facility of the Year Awards (FOYA)※１ by the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE). The announcement by ISPE was made on April 20, 2026, at the 2026 ISPE Europe Annual Conference.
FOYA is an international competition to select outstanding pharmaceutical-related facilities. After qualifying as a submittal Finalist and then successfully undergoing a further rigorous screening process, Chugai Pharma Manufacturing's FJ3 Project, delivered by JGC, was awarded "Honorable Mention", from among a total of 19 highly qualified Finalists. This award follows the selection of the FJ2 Project for Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. as the Winner of the Innovation Category of the Facility of the Year Awards in 2023.※2
The FJ3 Project called for the design and construction of a world-scale small molecule and macrocyclic peptide drug substance manufacturing facility (Building No. 54) and auxiliary facilities at the Fujieda Plant of Chugai Pharma Manufacturing Co., Ltd., a group company of Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. The project was completed in just 36 months from the start of detailed design, including commissioning and qualification, with completion achieved in November 2024. The FJ3 Project features unique dual manufacturing capabilities for both small molecule and macrocyclic peptide drug substances using common equipment, based on the Chugai Group's proprietary Classical Solution Peptide Synthesis (CSPS)*3.
JGC designed and constructed the facility not only to fully implement this innovative manufacturing technology, but also to handle a diverse range of substances including high pharmacological activity drug substances with hazardous properties anticipated for future development. Specifically, JGC incorporated multiple independent manufacturing lines in a modular process configuration with comprehensive automation and digitalization, and adopted isolators based on its proprietary next-generation containment technology, CONPAStainment®*4, each custom-designed for specific equipment interfaces, to ensure worker safety against exposure to highly potent compounds.
The containment performance of CONPAStainment® at FJ3 is an OEL of ≤ 0.03μg/m³, surpassing the world-class performance of ≤ 0.05μg/m³ achieved by the preceding FJ2 facility. Together with the FJ2 Project and other facilities at the Fujieda site, the FJ3 Project enables an integrated drug substance supply system fully covering early-stage development to commercial manufacturing.
In being awarded "Honorable Mention", JGC believes that the FJ3 project was highly evaluated for the following key reasons:
(1)Manufacturing facility based on the Chugai Group's proprietary CSPS technology*3, for small molecule and macrocyclic peptide drug substances not only across diverse molecular species but also in terms of production volume.
(2)Adoption of JGC's proprietary and leading containment technology CONPAStainment®*4 handling diverse highly potent compounds (isolators for containment when feeding and discharging hazardous substances to and from equipment, achieving OEL ≤ 0.03μg/m³).
(3)Modular process configuration with multiple independent manufacturing lines and comprehensive automation and digitalization.
(4)Safety-first facility design incorporating seismic isolation, explosion-proof design, and "Sustainability by Design" principles.
(5)Adoption of High Performance Project™*5 for construction project execution.
JGC has been engaged in pharmaceutical and life science engineering for nearly half a century as "JGC Pharmaceutical Engineering, creating new value through our ability to propose and execute solutions." Responding to the dramatic technological advances in pharmaceutical engineering, JGC continues to execute projects fully meeting the needs of our clients from quality and timeliness perspectives, by providing optimal solutions drawing on the company's extensive track record of over 700 projects and the accumulated expertise of more than 400 dedicated pharmaceutical engineers.
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Building No. 54, Fujieda Plant, Chugai Pharma Manufacturing Co., Ltd. |
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| Facility adopting CONPAStainment® |
| Building Name |
Building No. 54 and Auxiliary Facilities, Fujieda Plant, Chugai Pharma Manufacturing Co., Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Structure | Steel-frame, five-story building, seismic isolation structure |
| Total floor area | Approximately 10,489 m² |
| Type of facility |
Pharmaceutical plant (small molecule and macrocyclic peptide drug substances) |
| Completion | November 2024 |
- *1
Facility of the Year Awards (FOYA)
Established in 2005, The Facility of the Year Awards (FOYA) recognize state-of-the-art projects utilizing new, innovative technologies to improve the quality of products, reduce the cost of producing high-quality medicines, and demonstrate advances in project delivery. The FOYA program provides a platform for the pharmaceutical science and manufacturing industry to showcase its accomplishments in facility design, construction, and operation, while sharing the development of new applications of technology and cutting-edge approaches. Visit https://ispe.org/facility-year-awards for more information.
- *2Please refer to Press Release https://www.jgc.com/en/news/2023/20230511.html.
- *3
About CSPS (Classical Solution Peptide Synthesis)
A proprietary liquid-phase peptide synthesis technology developed by the Chugai Group. Unlike conventional Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis (SPPS), CSPS enables cyclic peptides to be synthesized and purified using standard equipment such as stirred-tank reactors and filter dryers commonly used in small-molecule synthesis, enabling manufacturing of both small molecule and macrocyclic peptide drug substances within a single facility.
- *4
About CONPAStainment®
Chemical hazards containment isolator based on JGC's proprietary design. Combined with JGC's proprietary upper transfer rail system, the equipment is easily and safely moved between equipment. CONPAStainment® achieved the world's highest OEL (Occupational Exposure Limits) ≤ 0.05μg/m³ at the FJ2 facility and has further evolved at FJ3 to achieve OEL of ≤ 0.03μg/m³. At FJ3, with multiple isolators custom-designed for specific equipment interfaces, providing a containment environment capable of broadly accommodating diverse highly potent compounds.
- *5
High Performance Project™
A program offered by JMJ Associates to enhance team engagement and maximize organizational performance by fostering trust and open communication, and empowering stakeholders to collaborate effectively towards a shared vision.