MilliporeSigma, the U.S. and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany), announced a €300 million in South Korea. The investment goes toward a new bioprocessing production center in Daejon, South Korea. It marks the largest investment by the company’s life science business sector in Asia-Pacific to date. The company expects the investment to…
FDA approves Merck’s Winrevair to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension
Merck recently won FDA approval for its sotatercept-csrk Winrevair for treating adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension. The drug was approved to increase exercise capacity and reduce the risk of clinical worsening events, according to the Rahway, N.J.-based company. It previously received FDA breakthrough designation and is the first FDA-approved action signaling inhibitor therapy for pulmonary…
Report: Japan health authorities investigate Kobayashi Pharmaceutical factory after five deaths
Japanese health authorities searched a Kobayashi Pharmaceutical factory in Japan following reports of five deaths related to dietary supplements, Reuters reports. The plant inspection in western Japan is the second in recent days as health authorities inspected the company’s Osaka facility. In addition to the five reported deaths, there have been more than 100 hospitalizations…
Lonza buys Genentech manufacturing plant from Roche for $1.2B
Lonza agreed to acquire the Genentech large-scale biologics manufacturing site in Vacaville, California, from Roche for $1.2 billion. The acquisition will increase Lonza’s large-scale biologics manufacturing capacity to meet demand for commercial mammalian contract manufacturing from customers with existing commercial products, plus molecules currently on the path to commercialization within its network. Lonza’s new facility…
Novartis begins $256M Singapore expansion
Novartis announced last week that it broke ground on a biopharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Singapore. The company put forward a $256 million investment to begin the project, which will lead to the deployment of digital and automation solutions to enhance manufacturing productivity, improve operational efficiency, and upskill the workforce. Novartis said this site will focus…
W.R. Grace expands manufacturing plant in Michigan
W.R. Grace announced that it opened an expanded fine chemical contract development and manufacturing plant in Michigan. The Columbia, Maryland-based specialty chemicals company opened the facility in South Haven, Michigan. Following a 21-month project, more than 200 employees joined executives and community leaders for a ribbon-cutting ceremony this week. Grace’s facility has 25% more capacity,…
Could pharma production someday move to space?
Four astronauts ended a six-month science expedition that evaluated the potential of Redwire technology to produce certain crystals for pharmaceuticals. In November, Redwire Corporation announced that its “lab-in-a-box” was installed in an orbiting laboratory following a launch on SpaceX’s 29th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission. The pharmaceutical in-space laboratory (PIL) biocrystal optimization experiment (BOX) aimed…
Telix Pharmaceuticals to buy ARTMS and its isotope production platform
Telix Pharmaceuticals announced that it agreed to acquire radioisotope production technology firm ARTMS Inc. ARTMS also brings with it an advanced cyclotron-based isotope production platform and manufacturing plant. It has a stockpile of ultra-pure rare metals required for consumable target production, too, according to a news release. The company specializes in the physics, chemistry and…
Generic drugs maker Noumed Pharma announces new Australia plant
Noumed Pharmaceuticals says it started construction on a $100 million purpose-built facility in South Australia’s northern suburbs. According to a news release. the company expects this facility to become the most modern of its kind in Australia. The state-of-the-art pharmaceutical manufacturing plant enhances the country’s sovereign supply into the pharmacy and health networks. Noumed plans…
Pfizer gives up on Washington state manufacturing plant project
Pfizer recently announced that it will wind down the construction of an Everett, Washington cancer therapies manufacturing plant that it inherited through its $43 billion acquisition of Seagen last year. Over the summer before the acquisition closure in December 2023, Seagen had inked a $215 million deal with contractor Skanksa to build the 270,000-square-foot facility,…