Multiply Labs Raises $75M to Automate Drug Manufacturing With Robots

Pharmaceutical manufacturing often relies on manual labor. Scientists load materials into a machine, wait for processing, then load the output into a second machine. The cycle is repeated multiple times over weeks or months.

Multiply Labs develops robotics clusters designed to automate that workflow. Each cluster includes specialized enclosures that hold a different piece of manufacturing equipment. The enclosures can also host hardware that monitors the production line for issues. Robotic arms move materials between the enclosures.

The arms come from a fellow startup, Universal Robotics Inc. The systems are lighter than automation equipment typically used in warehouses, making them easier to replace if they malfunction, according to SiliconANGLE. The robots also have tactile sensors that measure the pressure they apply to vials, which Multiply Labs says allows it to align its automation workflows closely with manufacturing requirements.

Multiply Labs installs the arms on a rail system that moves them between material processing machines. A built-in elevator extends their vertical reach. Each machine has multiple joints that let it maneuver around other systems moving nearby.

The robots transfer materials between production systems and perform some manufacturing tasks themselves. They can stir vials containing medical ingredients and mix the contents of different containers. An artificial intelligence model trained on data from Multiply Labs' pharmaceutical customers manages the process, the company said.

Regulatory rules require drugmakers to obtain approval before changing a manufacturing step. That has historically made it difficult to replace manual production steps with robotic workflows. Multiply Labs says its robotic clusters address the problem by closely imitating how a drugmaker's employees carry out a manufacturing task. Because the workflow effectively remains the same, the company says, no new regulatory approval is needed.

Multiply Labs currently focuses on automating production of cell and gene therapies, which are personalized to each patient. The company says its technology can increase manufacturing throughput by a factor of 100 while reducing the cost per dose by 74%. Multiply Labs will use the new funding to add support for more types of therapies and expand production capacity.