Merck KGaA To Invest $275 M in Biotech Development and Mfg Facility
Merck KGaA is investing EUR 250 million ($275 million) over the 2019-2022 period in a new Biotech Development Center for biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing for new biological entities in clinical studies in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland.
The new facility will be located near the company’s current biotech commercial manufacturing site in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland. The facility will consist of a building providing a total of 15,700 square meters of development space, including space for a cross-functional team of approximately 250 employees now spread across different sites. The new facility will be equipped with digital capabilities, including continuous manufacturing and laboratory automation, as well as open workspaces. The construction of the building is expected to be completed in 2021 and the center is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2022 following validation by regulatory authorities.
Merck KGaA also made recent investments to expand other facilities: its R&D facility in Billerica, Massachusetts; its biotech manufacturing site in Aubonne, Switzerland, and in its pharma manufacturing site in Darmstadt, Germany. Overall, Merck KGaA has invested more than CHF 1 billion ($1 billion) in Switzerland over the past 10 years, where it currently employs more than 2,400 employees across nine locations in Switzerland.
Source: Merck KGaA