Viral Antigens Builds Biologic Manufacturing Facility

Viral Antigens is developing a 2,500-sf biologic manufacturing facility attached to the company's existing Memphis facility. After eighteen months of planning and construction, the final certification of the $2.5-million contract factory will begin. The plant will manufacture proteins and other products, providing clean-room production for smaller biotech companies and researchers still in Phase I development. The facility, certified to meet GMP (good manufacturing process) guidelines, will perform vigorous cleaning between single product production runs to prevent cross-contamination. Avoiding a utility easement on the property, the building was developed from the ground up by general contractor Crawford Smith & Sharp LLC.  Ellers, Oakley Chester & Rike engineered the project. A facility up to five times as large capable of manufacturing Phase II and Phase III products is planned for the future.