AstraZeneca buys US biologics manufacturing facility from Amgen
The facility will eventually double the firm's biologics manufacturing capacity in the US
AstraZeneca has expanded its biologics manufacturing capability in the US with the acquisition of a high-tech biologics bulk manufacturing facility from Amgen. The LakeCentre facility, located in Boulder, Colorado, will increase manufacturing and production capacity to support AstraZeneca's biologics medicines portfolio.
No financial details have been revealed by the firm, although The Denver Post reported that AstraZeneca paid US$14.6m for the facility, according to Boulder County property records.
The Anglo-Swedish pharmaceuticals manufacturer plans to employ around 400 people at the facility and will start recruitment immediately to support refurbishment and infrastructure improvements. The site is expected to be operational and licensed for commercial production by late 2017.
The facility will eventually double the firm's biologics manufacturing capacity in the US to meet the needs of the maturing AstraZeneca pipeline.
The addition of the Boulder facility will support the progression of biotech drug candidates across our main therapeutic areas
Currently biologics make up 50% of the company's pipeline with more than 120 ongoing programmes, including more than 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 follows the planned biologics manufacturing investment in Sweden, announced in May, and the expansion in Frederick, Maryland, announced in November 2014.
