Pharmaceutical

Sanofi and Lonza initiated a joint venture in March of 2017 to create a $285 million biologics manufacturing center in Visp, Switzerland. The strategic partnership leverages Lonza’s expertise in designing, constructing, and managing large-scale mammalian cell culture facilities with Sanofi’s strength in the discovery and launch of biologics-based treatments. Construction is expected to begin in 2017 on the initial phase of the project, with full operations commencing by 2020.

The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) announced the annual winners for the Facility of the Year Award (FOYA) program in February of 2017. The category winners were:

West-Ward Pharmaceuticals is initiating an expansion of its manufacturing plant in Obetz, Ohio. A two-story, 30,000-sf addition will accommodate the production of medication tablets, with 65 new technicians to be employed at the site by 2020. The expansion will support the manufacture of generic drugs for parent company Hikma Pharmaceuticals and is slated for completion in May of 2018. A 276,000-sf distribution facility will also be constructed at the campus.

Zymeworks opened a 10,000-sf biopharmaceutical laboratory in January of 2017 in Vancouver, British Columbia. The facility will provide a centralized location for the company’s discovery research operations, including antibody generation, medicinal chemistry, bioconjugation, and the development of multifunctional proteins. Zymeworks is a producer of therapeutic agents for clinical-stage research on the treatment of cancer.

The State University of New York at Binghamton is constructing the $60 million School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in New York. Designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative, the 105,000-sf building will provide sophisticated teaching and research labs, lecture halls, faculty offices, a library, and student activity space. Accommodating 240 students and approximately 36 faculty members, the four-story facility will feature interactive classrooms that can accommodate lectures as well as team-based learning activities.

After a one-year delay, Congress has passed the 21st Century Cures Act, which includes new funding totaling $4.8 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), $500 million for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to bring novel drug therapies and medical devices to market more quickly, and $1 billion to fight the growing opioid crisis. The NIH funding includes $1.8 billion for Vice President Joseph Biden’s “Cancer Moonshot,” $1.6 billion for President Obama’s BRAIN initiative, and additional money earmarked for precision medicine. The Cures Act funding is separate from, and in addition to, annual NIH budget increases. It comes on the heals of a $2 billion increase in NIH funding last year, the largest increase in a decade. If the trend continues, it could result in a need for additional research infrastructure in the form of renovations and new construction.

Datwyler Sealing Solutions, a pharmaceutical packaging firm based in Switzerland, will break ground in early 2017 on a $102 million manufacturing facility in Middletown, Del. Built to meet the company’s FirstLine standards, the project will feature ultramodern cleanrooms with automated production and camera inspection technologies. The facility is expected to become operational in mid-2018.

The University of Melbourne is engaged in a 54,000-sf expansion of the Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute. Created in partnership with Australian biopharmaceutical firm CSL, the AUD$36.4 million project will house the CSL Global Hub for Research and Translational Medicine, which will feature advanced technologies for the creation of personalized medicine solutions. Completion is expected in mid-2017.

GlaxoSmithKline began construction in December of 2016 on a 100,000-sf SMART laboratory and office facility in Upper Providence, Pa. Skanska has been awarded the $45 million contract for demolition and renovation of four floors in an existing structure to implement GSK’s Smart Space concept, which features integrated technological innovations for research and productivity. Completion is expected in October of 2017.

Merck has selected Alexandria Real Estate Equities to develop a biopharmaceutical R&D facility in South San Francisco, Calif. Construction will begin in early 2017 on the nine-story, 294,000-rsf building, the entirety of which will be leased by Merck. Designed by DGA to accommodate up to 300 scientists engaged in collaborative, multidisciplinary research, the facility will provide laboratories, offices, a 300-seat auditorium, a café, and a fitness center.

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals’ new home in Cambridge, Mass., has 40,000 sf of high-tech biology and chemistry labs, along with four distinct space types to accommodate the work modes of its staff: focus, collaboration, learning, and social engagement. The new 130,000-rentable-square-foot headquarters, known by its address, 125 Binney Street, in the heart of the Kendall Square life science community, stands in marked contrast to the company’s existing facility, less than two miles away.

Pfizer will begin construction in mid-2017 on a $200 million research and development campus in Chesterfield, Mo. Supporting the creation of advanced vaccines, biotherapeutics, and pharmaceuticals, the project could include a 460,000-sf facility standing up to five stories high. The campus will be built by Clayco and its development subsidiary CRG, with Pfizer leasing the structures upon completion. Occupancy is expected in 2020.

The University of North Texas broke ground in October of 2016 on the Interdisciplinary Research and Education Building in Fort Worth. Supported by $80 million in state funding, the 173,000-sf facility will accommodate a progressive, team-based pedagogy for health sciences and interprofessional education. Designed by Treanor Architects, the building will house the College of Pharmacy, the North Texas Eye Research Institute, and the Institute for Molecular and Therapeutic Development.

ImmuCell broke ground in October of 2016 on a $20 million pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Portland, Maine. The two-story, 16,800-sf facility will provide fermentation, processing, laboratory, and warehouse space for the production of Nisin, the active ingredient in one of ImmuCell's leading animal health products. Stantec is providing architectural and engineering services for the project, which is being built by Consigli Construction. Completion is expected in late 2017 with manufacturing operations commencing in early 2018.

Moderna Therapeutics began construction in October of 2016 on a $110 million clinical manufacturing facility in Norwood, Mass. Designed to meet current GMP and GLP standards, the 200,000-sf center will support the production of messenger RNA (mRNA) therapies and vaccines. DPS is providing architectural, engineering, construction management, commissioning, qualification, validation, and procurement services for the project. The clinical labs, offices, and ancillary spaces are being designed by TRIA.