AstraZeneca has opened a new US$224m manufacturing and packaging facility in Kaluga, Russia in a move that will, according to Chief Executive Pascal Soriot, reinforce the drugmaker's long-term commitment to the country.
In 2011, AstraZeneca was one of the first multinational pharmaceutical companies to announce plans to invest in the construction of a dedicated manufacturing facility in Russia.
It is the largest foreign investment in the construction of a new pharmaceutical facility in the country.
The company said the plant would begin production early next year and become fully operational by 2017. It will produce around 40 million packs and 850 million tablets of some 30 innovative medicines every year.
This represents more than 60% of the medicines sold by AstraZeneca in Russia.
Soriot said: 'This opening builds on our investments in clinical research and scientific collaborations in this important country and serves to reinforce our long term commitment to Russia.'
AstraZeneca has been expanding its global manufacturing capabilities this year to support its expanding portfolio of medicines and growing demand. following on from the planned biologics manufacturing investments in Sweden (announced in May), the acquisition of a new site in Boulder, Colorado, US (announced in September) and the expansion in Frederick, Maryland, US (announced in November 2014).
