Merck to invest Euro 80 million in China's new pharma facility

Merck has announced a Euro 80 million investment in a new pharmaceutical manufacturing facility, to be located in the Nantong Economical Technological Development Area (NETDA), in the Greater Shanghai region (Yangtze River Delta area).
 
“We are proud to be one of the first multinational companies investing in a local site focused on the manufacturing of medicines referenced in China’s essential drug list, and serve the country’s expanding healthcare needs in the areas of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and thyroid disorders, by bringing high-quality medicines made in China to a broader population, in full alignment with the Chinese government’s goal to increase access to quality products,” said Belen Garijo, President and Chief Executive Officer of Merck Serono, the biopharmaceutical division of Merck.
 
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The new facility will focus on the bulk production and packaging of Glucophage, Concor and Euthyrox, Merck’s leading brands for the treatment of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and thyroid disorders respectively. Located in NETDA’s BioSpark, a high-tech industrial park designed to accommodate all aspects of the life science industry, the new facility will cover an area of 40,000 sq m, with a possible 20,000 sq m extension. The construction of the site is scheduled to start in 2014 and to be completed in 2016, and start commercial production in 2017.
 
“This new facility will become Merck Serono’s second largest pharmaceutical manufacturing site in the world and will help ensure that our medicines will always be available to patients who rely on them, which is a key priority for Merck Serono,” added Allan Gabor, General Manager and Managing Director of Merck Serono in China.