AstraZeneca purchases US biologics manufacturing facility

AstraZeneca has added to its biologics manufacturing capability in the US with the purchase of a high-tech biologics bulk manufacturing facility from Amgen.

AstraZeneca has said that, over time, the LakeCentre facility, located in Boulder, Colorado will increase manufacturing and production capacity to support the Company’s extensive portfolio of biologics medicines.

AstraZeneca plans to start staffing the facility immediately to support refurbishment and infrastructure improvements. Once complete, the site is expected to be operational and licensed for commercial production by late 2017, providing for additional capacity within the company’s biologics operations.

Biologics make up 50% of AstraZeneca’s pipeline

In the longer- term, the site could create up to 400 highly skilled jobs. The facility will eventually double AstraZeneca’s biologics manufacturing capacity in the US to meet the needs of the Company’s maturing pipeline. Currently biologics make up 50% of the company’s pipeline with more than 120 ongoing programmes, including over 30 in clinical development.

Pam Cheng, Executive Vice-President, Operations and Information Technology at AstraZeneca, said, “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.”

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 last year.