Accelerating Excellence in Sterile Injectable Manufacturing Through AI-Powered Continuous Validation
Prepared for:
Cory Lewis, CEO and President, INCOG BioPharma Services
Prepared by:
Nagesh Nama, CEO, xLM Continuous Intelligence
Date: February 3, 2026
Executive Summary
INCOG BioPharma Services stands at an extraordinary inflection point—a $200 million expansion announced in December 2025, scaling from 150 employees to nearly 1,000 by 2030, and ramping production capacity to 480 million units annually. This represents not just growth, but transformation into one of North America's premier sterile injectable CDMOs.
This ambitious expansion brings a critical challenge: maintaining the exceptional quality and service standards that differentiate INCOG while dramatically scaling operations. Traditional validation approaches—manual, document-heavy, and reactive—cannot scale at this velocity without introducing significant risk to timeline, compliance, and operational efficiency.
xLM Continuous Intelligence proposes a strategic partnership to embed AI-powered continuous validation throughout INCOG's expanded operations, delivering:
1
Continuous Equipment Validation (cIV)
Real-time IQ/OQ/PQ monitoring across filling lines, isolators, lyophilizers, and automated inspection systems
Automated FDA/EMA/Annex 1 compliance documentation with complete audit trails and data integrity
4
Operational Efficiency
40-60% reduction in validation cycle times, enabling faster tech transfers and commercial launches
5
Strategic Differentiation
Position INCOG as the first AI-native sterile injectable CDMO, creating competitive moat
This partnership aligns perfectly with INCOG's stated mission to be "a new standard of CDMO" that solves the industry's capacity constraints while exceeding customer expectations for quality and service.
About INCOG BioPharma Services
Company Overview
Founded in June 2020 by industry veterans Cory Lewis (CEO) and Tedd Green (COO), INCOG BioPharma represents a "reunion of the band"—bringing together the seasoned leadership team that built Cook Pharmica into a $950 million acquisition by Catalent. This deep CDMO expertise, combined with purpose-built infrastructure and substantial capital backing, positions INCOG as a tier-one contract manufacturing organization competing at the highest industry level.
Current Status (February 2026):
Facility: FDA-approved, Annex 1-compliant, 90,000 sq ft production facility in Fishers, Indiana
Capacity: 140 million units/year (current), scaling to 480 million units/year by 2030
Workforce: 150+ employees (current), scaling to nearly 1,000 by 2030
Investment: $100 million initial investment + $200 million expansion announced December 2025
Campus: 21-acre campus expanding to 300,000 sq ft purpose-built space
Automated inspection infrastructure supporting quality assurance at scale
Integrated serialization and track-and-trace systems for global regulatory compliance
Enhanced analytical laboratories for method development and stability testing
This expansion addresses the sterile injectable market's 10-15% annual growth rate and projected $10+ billion market size by 2030, positioning INCOG to capture significant market share in a capacity-constrained industry.
Competitive Differentiation
Cory Lewis articulates INCOG's differentiation through three pillars:
1. Customer-Centric Partnership Model
"The relationship with a CDMO should be more than a transaction; it's a partnership that extends beyond capabilities and cost. It's about how issues are resolved, how customer service is approached, and how the company aligns with your long-term goals."
2. Quality-First Culture
INCOG was founded explicitly to address the industry's dual challenge of capacity constraints AND quality/service expectations. The leadership team's experience with 20+ commercial approvals and 100+ biopharma relationships informs every operational decision.
3. Flexible, Scalable Infrastructure
Purpose-built facilities designed for flexibility—supporting clinical through commercial production under one roof, reducing administrative complexity, and accelerating time-to-market for partners.
Strategic Timing
INCOG's expansion creates a unique partnership window. As the company scales from startup to major CDMO (nearly 7x workforce growth, 3.4x capacity expansion), embedding advanced validation infrastructure NOW—before legacy systems calcify—positions INCOG for sustainable competitive advantage.
The company's commitment to being a "new standard of CDMO" aligns perfectly with xLM's mission to bring continuous intelligence to regulated manufacturing.
The Sterile Injectable CDMO Challenge
Validation Complexity at Scale
Sterile injectable manufacturing represents pharmaceutical production's most demanding regulatory environment. Unlike traditional solid-dose manufacturing, injectable products cannot be terminally tested for sterility without destroying the dose—assurance must come entirely from validated processes, environmental controls, and equipment performance.
Critical Validation Requirements:
Equipment Qualification: IQ/OQ/PQ for filling lines, isolators, lyophilizers, autoclaves, inspection systems, and environmental monitoring
Process Validation: Media fill simulations, aseptic process validations, filter integrity testing, cleaning validation (CIP/SIP)
Environmental Monitoring: Continuous monitoring of ISO 5 critical zones, Grade A/B/C/D areas, differential pressure, particle counts, viable monitoring
Component Sterilization: Validation of depyrogenation, terminal sterilization, and component preparation processes
Utility Systems: Water for Injection (WFI), clean steam, HVAC, compressed gases—all requiring continuous qualification
Data Integrity: 21 CFR Part 11, EU GMP Annex 11, and ALCOA+ principles for electronic records
The Scaling Dilemma
INCOG's planned expansion from 140 million to 480 million units annually introduces multiplicative validation complexity:
Validation workload grows faster than revenue as capacity expands.
xLM Continuous Intelligence Solution
xLM Continuous Intelligence is an AI-driven platform transforming validation in life sciences. We convert periodic, document-heavy compliance into an automated, strategic asset, enhancing quality, efficiency, and regulatory confidence for GxP-regulated environments like CDMOs, pharma, and biologics manufacturing.
Core Technology & Differentiators
Our AI-powered agent orchestration continuously monitors, analyzes, and validates critical processes in real-time, providing predictive insights and automated compliance.
Regulatory-Compliant
Purpose-built for FDA, EMA, and ICH requirements.
Deep Integration
Seamlessly integrates with MES, SCADA, LIMS, and ECM systems.
AI-Driven
AI agents trained on pharmaceutical validation protocols.
Proven Track Record
Demonstrated success with enterprise deployments.
cIV: Continuous Intelligent Validation
Our flagship cIV solution reimagines traditional Installation, Operational, and Performance Qualification (IQ/OQ/PQ), transforming labor-intensive processes into an agile, data-driven system for sterile injectable manufacturing.
Our Continuous Environmental Monitoring System (cEMS) delivers real-time quality assurance for classified manufacturing areas, ensuring optimal environmental control and compliance.
Predictive maintenance alerts for HVAC/filtration system issues
Disinfectant efficacy tracking and rotation schedule management
Media fill correlation analysis for aseptic process validation
For INCOG Application:
Monitor ISO 5 critical zones in filling isolators continuously
Track Grade A/B/C/D area compliance across expanding facility
Support Annex 1 compliance with robust contamination control strategy
Reduce environmental excursion investigations through root cause analytics
cPdM: Continuous Predictive Maintenance
Our Continuous Predictive Maintenance (cPdM) solution leverages AI to prevent unplanned downtime in sterile manufacturing, enhancing reliability and throughput. It transforms reactive repairs into strategic, data-driven interventions.
Equipment Health Monitoring
Vibration analysis, thermal imaging, and performance trending provide deep insights.
Machine learning models accurately predict component failure with high confidence.
Maintenance schedules are optimized, balancing operational risk against cost efficiency.
Spare parts inventory is precisely optimized based on predictive analytics and demand.
Operational Excellence Integration
Seamless integration with CMMS for automated work order generation streamlines processes.
Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) tracking drives continuous improvement initiatives.
Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) analysis leads to significant optimization gains.
Validation impact assessments ensure compliance for all maintenance activities.
For INCOG Application:
Maximize uptime of high-speed filling lines crucial for capacity ramp-up.
Optimize maintenance windows, minimizing impact to critical production schedules.
Reduce unplanned downtime by 30-40%, significantly improving partner delivery commitments.
xLM Technical Architecture
Our xLM platform is built on a robust, enterprise-grade architecture designed for scalability, security, and compliance. It integrates advanced AI agent orchestration with a comprehensive framework to deliver unparalleled real-time intelligence for sterile manufacturing.
Integration Layer
Seamlessly connects to existing MES, SCADA, LIMS, ECM, and CMMS platforms via RESTful APIs. It processes real-time data from PLCs and sensors, offering flexible cloud or on-premise deployment with enterprise Active Directory integration for secure role-based access.
AI/ML Engine
Leverages supervised learning on pharmaceutical validation datasets, unsupervised anomaly detection for new deviations, and natural language processing for automated documentation. Reinforcement learning optimizes process control strategies for continuous improvement.
Compliance Framework
Engineered for strict regulatory adherence, supporting 21 CFR Part 11, EU GMP Annex 11, and ALCOA+ data integrity. All actions are recorded in a complete, tamper-evident audit trail.
User Experience
Provides intuitive, role-specific dashboards for all stakeholders, accessible via a mobile-responsive interface for real-time alerts and approvals. Features configurable KPI reporting, automated regulatory submission packages, and AI-assisted natural language queries.
Competitive Advantages
Purpose-Built for Pharma
xLM is uniquely designed for GxP validation requirements, offering specialized features far beyond generic IoT platforms. This ensures seamless integration with regulatory frameworks from the start.
Proven Regulatory Acceptance
Our platform automatically generates validation protocols, qualification reports, and audit packages that precisely match regulator expectations, streamlining compliance and reducing audit risks.
Rapid Deployment
With pre-built connectors for major pharma manufacturing systems, xLM implements in 30-60 days, drastically cutting deployment time compared to 6-12 months for custom solutions.
Scalable Architecture
Cloud-native design supports seamless scaling from single lines to multi-site enterprises, maintaining peak performance. Grow confidently without performance bottlenecks.
ROI-Positive
Customers typically achieve positive ROI within 6-9 months, driven by enhanced validation efficiency, fewer deviations, and significant improvements in Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).
Strategic Partnership Opportunity
We propose a strategic co-development partnership positioning INCOG BioPharma as the first AI-native sterile injectable CDMO—embedding xLM Continuous Intelligence throughout INCOG's $200 million expansion to create sustainable competitive differentiation.
Partnership Objectives
Operational Excellence: Deploy cIV, cTM, cEMS, and cPdM across INCOG's expanding manufacturing infrastructure, creating industry-leading validation efficiency.
Competitive Differentiation: Position INCOG as the technology-forward CDMO of choice for innovative biopharma partners seeking speed, quality, and transparency.
Regulatory Leadership: Establish INCOG as an exemplar of modern continuous validation approaches, potentially hosting regulatory agency visits showcasing best practices.
Knowledge Sharing: Collaborate on white papers, conference presentations, and case studies demonstrating AI's transformational impact on sterile manufacturing.
Success Metrics & Governance
Key Performance Indicators
Our partnership's success will be rigorously measured against a set of clear, actionable KPIs, reviewed quarterly to ensure alignment and continuous improvement. These targets reflect our commitment to driving efficiency, quality, and regulatory excellence.
Why This Partnership Succeeds
This collaboration between INCOG BioPharma Services and xLM is primed for success, driven by powerful strategic alignment, advantageous timing, strong leadership synergy, and a significant market opportunity.
Strategic Alignment
xLM enables INCOG to achieve its mission of setting "a new standard of CDMO" through continuous validation and AI-powered quality. Both companies share a vision for long-term growth and trust, creating perfectly aligned incentives.
Timing Advantage
Integrating xLM now, ahead of INCOG's $200M expansion in Q1 2026, allows validation infrastructure to be built into facility design. This proactive approach avoids costly retrofitting and positions INCOG to leapfrog competitors with legacy systems.
Leadership Chemistry
With Cory Lewis's deep CDMO experience and quality-first mindset, and Nagesh Nama's AI orchestration expertise and GxP knowledge, both leaders prioritize innovation and customer success. Their shared vision provides a strong foundation for a collaborative partnership.
Market Opportunity
The partnership sits at the intersection of a rapidly growing $10B+ sterile injectable CDMO market and the nascent, high-ROI AI in pharmaceutical manufacturing market. This dual positioning creates a compelling narrative for customers and investors alike.
Conclusion: Accelerating INCOG's Vision
INCOG BioPharma stands at an extraordinary moment, poised for unparalleled growth through its $200 million expansion. This pivotal trajectory demands a validation infrastructure that not only scales efficiently but also upholds INCOG's commitment to quality excellence and customer partnership.
Key Benefits of xLM Continuous Intelligence
Operational Excellence
Achieve 40-60% efficiency gains in validation cycles, tech transfers, and equipment reliability.
Leverage automated compliance documentation and transparent audit trails that exceed FDA/EMA expectations.
Market Differentiation
Position INCOG as the first AI-native sterile injectable CDMO, attracting quality-focused biopharma partners.
The timing for this partnership is exceptional. Embedding continuous validation now, during INCOG's expansion, creates a sustainable competitive moat, significantly more difficult to build after legacy systems calcify. This collaboration is driven by a compelling strategic fit and a significant market opportunity, positioning both companies to redefine industry standards through innovation and quality.
We would welcome the opportunity to discuss how xLM Continuous Intelligence can accelerate INCOG's vision of becoming the premier sterile injectable CDMO through AI-powered continuous validation.