11th Sep 2015 11:23
LONDON (Alliance News) - AstraZeneca PLC on Friday said it has bought a high-tech biologics bulk manufacturing facility from US pharmaceutical firm Amgen Inc.
No financial details were disclosed. This investment does not change AstraZeneca's financial guidance for 2015, the company added.
The pharmaceutical business said the facility, in Boulder, Colorado, will over time increase manufacturing and production capacity to support its portfolio of biologics medicines.
AstraZeneca plans to begin staffing the facility immediately to support refurbishment and infrastructure improvements.
Once complete, AstraZeneca expects the site to be operational and licensed for commercial production by late 2017, providing for additional capacity within the company's biologics operations.
According to AstraZeneca, the site could create up to 400 jobs for highly skilled workers in the longer term. The company said the facility will eventually double the biologics manufacturing capacity in the US to meet the needs of its maturing pipeline. Biologics currently makes up half of the company's pipeline, with more than 120 ongoing programmes, including over 30 in clinical development.
"The addition of the Boulder facility will support the progression of biotech drug candidates across our main therapeutic areas as we continue to bring innovative new treatments to patients. This site will play an important role in our future commercial production and give AstraZeneca and MedImmune, our global biologics research and development arm, the flexibility and capacity to meet the needs of our rapidly growing biologics portfolio," Pam Cheng, executive vice-President, operations and information technology at AstraZeneca, said in a statement.
"The new facility in Boulder adds to the expansion of AstraZeneca?s biologics manufacturing capabilities, following the planned biologics manufacturing investment in Sweden, announced in May, and the expansion in Frederick, Maryland,announced in November 2014," Cheng said.
Shares in the company were up 0.03% at 4,292.00 pence on Friday, shortly after midday in London.
By Samuel Agini; [email protected]; @samuelagini
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