AstraZeneca Expands Biologics Manufacturing in Maryland

AstraZeneca will expand its biologics manufacturing center in Frederick, MD, adding approximately 40,000 additional square feet of manufacturing, laboratory, and administrative space and 300 new jobs to the site. The more than $200 million project will increase production capacity at the facility to support AstraZeneca’s maturing pipeline and will help position the company to keep pace with a growing demand for the development and use of biologics, which currently represent nearly 50% of AstraZeneca’s overall pipeline, the company said in a press release.

AstraZeneca’s Frederick biologics manufacturing center is an FDA-licensed, large-scale cell-culture production facility. The expansion project is anticipated to begin in December 2014 and expected to be complete in mid-2017. The site currently produces a pediatric medication, as well as other investigational biologic products.

“Biologics are an important part of AstraZeneca’s overall capabilities, in addition to our strengths in small molecules and protein engineering,” said Andrew D. Skibo, regional vice president of biologics supply for AstraZeneca, in a press release. “Our global biologics research and development arm, MedImmune, has a robust pipeline of more than 120 biologics, including more than 30 in clinical development. The expansion of our Frederick facility will support the progression of drug candidates across our core therapeutic areas.”

Source: AstraZeneca