Fujifilm Expands Japan ADC Manufacturing With New Linker-Payload Equipment at Fukushima Plant

FUJIFILM Corporation said on October 6, 2026, that it will install manufacturing equipment for linker-payloads, components of antibody-drug conjugates, or ADCs, at the Hirono Plant in Hirono-machi, Futaba-gun, Fukushima Prefecture.

The facility is run by a manufacturing subsidiary of FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Corporation, a Fujifilm Group company, which will use the equipment to offer contract process development and manufacturing services for these ADC components. Operations are scheduled to begin in 2028.

Fujifilm Group Expands ADC Manufacturing Footprint in Fukushima

Linker-payloads consist of a payload, such as an anticancer drug, and a linker that attaches the payload to an antibody. Fujifilm describes ADCs as a next-generation biopharmaceutical modality, and the investment is intended to expand the group's contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) business in this field.

According to the announcement, the move will allow the Fujifilm Group to establish what the company identifies as Japan's first one-stop ADC CDMO service, a claim based on Fujifilm research using data from the Japan CDMO Association as of October 6, 2026.

How ADCs Work and Why Demand Is Growing

An antibody-drug conjugate pairs an antibody, which recognizes specific target cells such as cancer cells, with a payload such as an anticancer drug, joined by a linker. When the antibody binds to a specific protein on the surface of a target cell, the ADC is taken into the cell, where the payload is released from the linker and acts on the cell.

Because the antibody selectively delivers the payload to target cells, ADCs are expected to deliver high therapeutic efficacy alongside reduced side effects. Fujifilm states that development of ADCs as a next-generation biopharmaceutical modality is accelerating worldwide.

Drawing on data from Evaluate Pharma, the company estimates the ADC market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 21 percent from 2023 to 2032, expanding roughly fivefold from around USD 11 billion in 2023 to around USD 60 billion in 2032. Manufacturing ADCs, however, is complex.

The process spans multiple stages, linker-payload manufacturing, antibody manufacturing, conjugation, and drug product manufacturing, each demanding advanced technologies and stringent quality control.

Many pharmaceutical companies currently engage separate partners for each stage, and Fujifilm notes that this fragmented arrangement creates difficulties in technology transfer, quality control, and manufacturing management across the supply chain.

Existing Strengths at the Hirono Site

The Hirono Plant already brings several relevant capabilities to the expansion.

Per the announcement, the facility has advanced organic synthesis technologies developed through pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing, technologies for containing highly potent substances during manufacturing, and rigorous quality assurance and quality control systems.

Highly potent substances are described as those that exert potent pharmacological effects even at low doses, and many drugs used as ADC payloads fall into this category, making containment a critical manufacturing consideration.

With the new equipment and enhanced containment capabilities, the plant will extend its existing contract manufacturing services for linkers to cover linker-payloads as well.

Fujifilm will also build new laboratory facilities at the site to strengthen development of advanced manufacturing processes and analytical methods for linker-payloads with complex structures.

Scope of the Equipment Installation

The installation at the Hirono Plant will include manufacturing equipment for payloads and linker-payloads: reaction vessels, filtration and drying equipment, and a preparative HPLC system.

Laboratory facilities dedicated to manufacturing process development and analytical method development will also be part of the expansion, with operations set to start in 2028.

How the One-Stop Service Will Be Organized Across Group Companies

Fujifilm has designated ADCs as one of the key areas of its CDMO business for next-generation biopharmaceuticals.

The group plans to combine the technologies and manufacturing capabilities of its member companies into a single service covering linker-payload manufacturing, antibody manufacturing, conjugation, and drug product manufacturing. Under this structure, the Hirono Plant will handle linker-payload manufacturing.

The FUJIFILM Toyama Chemical facility, scheduled to begin operations in 2027, will take on antibody manufacturing, conjugation, and drug product manufacturing through aseptic filling and lyophilization. Conjugation, as defined in the announcement, refers to manufacturing ADC drug substances by conjugating linker-payloads with antibodies.

Intended Benefits for Pharmaceutical Developers

Fujifilm states that its one-stop ADC CDMO service, spanning from research and development through commercial manufacturing, will help reduce customers' development and manufacturing burden, improve efficiency, and contribute to smoother ADC development and manufacturing.

The company positions the Hirono Plant investment as a foundational step in this strategy.

By bringing linker-payload manufacturing capability in-house at a site already equipped with organic synthesis expertise, potent substance containment technologies, and established quality systems, Fujifilm intends to complete the chain of ADC manufacturing capabilities across its group companies, from payloads and linkers through antibodies, conjugation, and final drug product manufacturing, beginning in 2028.