Merck Announces € 59 Million Antibody-Drug Conjugate Manufacturing Expansion

Creates one of the largest single-digit nanogram containment manufacturing facilities for high-potent active pharmaceutical ingredient (HPAPI) production

10-Sep-2020 - USA

Merck announced a € 59 million expansion of its HPAPI and ADC manufacturing capabilities and capacity at its facility near Madison, Wisconsin, USA. This investment will allow large-scale manufacturing of increasingly potent compounds for therapies that have the potential to treat cancer. Completion is expected by mid-2022 and should add approximately 50 full-time jobs starting in 2021.

“ADCs have posted incredible growth over the last decade, and regulatory agencies’ approvals in recent years demonstrate their promise as a targeted therapy,” said Andrew Bulpin, Head of Process Solutions, Life Science, at Merck. “With more than 35 years of experience in this space, we have been a frontrunner in the development and manufacturing of biologics, conjugation processes and small molecules. This investment underscores our commitment to working with innovators to bring new treatments to patients quickly and more efficiently.”

Merck’s new 6,500-square-meter commercial building will be one of the largest dedicated HPAPI manufacturing facilities specifically designed to handle single-digit nanogram occupational exposure limit materials. The project is an addition to the company’s Madison campus, which was the first commercial ADC facility in North America designed to handle highly active materials. The new building will join Merck’s established campus in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, which specializes in ADC bio-conjugation, active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipient and adjuvants manufacturing.

ADCs are an emerging class of medicines designed for high-specificity targeting and destruction of cancer cells, while preserving healthy cells. There are now only nine ADCs approved globally. However, the ADC industry is delivering strong growth and is expected to reach € 13 billion by 2030.

https://www.bionity.com/en/news/1167891/merck-announces-59-million-antibody-drug-conjugate-manufacturing-expansion.html