Chemical and biological defense plant opens in Florida.

Nanotherapeutics, Inc., a company that manufactures vaccines and drugs to protect soldiers from chemical and biological attacks, has opened a new plant in northern Florida.

The company handles preclinical and clinical development, formulation optimization, and cGMP manufacturing of biopharmaceutical products and medical devices. Its proprietary platform technologies can be used with drug types ranging from small molecules to proteins and vaccines.

On Wednesday, the Department of Defense and other federal officials attended a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new $138 million, 183-square-foot plant in Alachua, FL., according to a report in The Gainesville (FL) Sun.

The opening of the plant, which fulfills a nearly $360 million Department of Defense grant, now employs some 190 workers and marks a shift from Nanotherapeutics’ start 17 years ago, transforming it from a company that used tiny, nanometer-scale particle technology to develop pharmaceuticals into what is now a contract production company making biological products.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for chemical and biological defense Chris Hassell told attendees that the facility will help the country avoid surprise attacks such as the anthrax mailings after Sept. 11, 2001.

The facility, set to become fully operational in February, is part of an effort started in 2010 to speed up and better control vaccine and drug manufacturing.

The Department of Health and Human Services was also mandated to open three similar facilities to serve the general public.

(Sources: Associated Press, The Gainesville (FL) Sun, Nanotherapeutics, Inc.)