Pfizer begins construction on $200 million biologics plant in MA
Pfizer on Thursday began construction on a new clinical manufacturing facility in Andover, Massachusetts, saying it would invest $200 million in building out the site.
The 175,000 square foot facility add to Pfizer's existing presence in Andover and will eventually produce complex biologics and vaccines when it comes on line in January 2019.Massachusetts has seen a significant influx of investment from pharma companies recently, with Bristol-Myers Squibb announcing the completion of its $280 million plant in Devens, MA and several other firms opening up research centers in Cambridge, MA.Pfizer already has a sizable presence in Massachusetts. The pharma giant has a R&D hub in Cambridge, MA and supports roughly 2,000 employees throughout the state. With the addition of the new Andover site, an estimated 75 employees will be hired to support clinical manufacturing at the site."Andover is a crucial part of our global footprint for both clinical and commercial manufacturing, and we believe it provides an attractive location for growth in the coming years," said John Ludwig, senior vice president of BioTherapuetics Pharmaceutical Sciences at Pfizer.While the existing facilities in Andover already manufacture clinical and commercial products, Pfizer will have added capacity to produce complex biologics and vaccines with the new building.That vaccine capability is important. Pfizer's vaccine business brought in nearly $6.5 billion last year, a 44% increase over 2014 and representing just over 13% of total company revenue. This growth has been driven by the strong uptake of Pfizer's pneumococcal vaccine Prevnar 13.By Ned Pagliarulo | June 16, 2016
Source: http://www.biopharmadive.com/
