GSK Australia will invest AU$31m in the latest manufacturing technology to expand its Boronia site in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne.
The expansion will include the introduction of high speed blow-fill-seal (BFS) machinery specifically developed for advanced aseptic packaging of sterile pharmaceutical liquids.
This latest BFS machine will be dedicated to the manufacture of Ventolin (salbutamol sulfate) nebules for the treatment of asthma. The investment will allow the facility to meet increased demands from emerging markets such as China, Turkey and Brazil where patients want low cost, accessible asthma treatments, said GSK.
BFS manufacturing has been a focal point for GSK’s Boronia facility for 25 years and the new BFS machine is expected to become operational in January 2016.
This announcement is part of a series of investments GSK has made in recent years to strengthen its manufacturing capabilities in both Australia and the UK. These include a previous investment of AU$60m in Boronia to advance the site’s BFS capability, new state-of-the-art equipment across a number of sites in the UK and the establishment of two new UK-based facilities specifically focused on using innovative technologies and supporting the business’s growing pipeline.
BFS can be used in a range of therapeutic areas from the delivery of IV fluids and nebulised solutions to injectable liquids as well as eye drops and nasal devices.
