Pharmaceutical

The University of Rhode Island broke ground in October of 2009 on a 148,000-sf facility for the College of Pharmacy in Kingston. Housing leading edge teaching and research labs and business incubator space, the $75 million facility will support programs in pharmaceutics manufacturing, pharmacognosy, 3D visualization, and histology. The building will include lecture halls, classrooms, a patient clinic, tissue culture, and a 3D visualization auditorium.

The University at Buffalo broke ground in September of 2009 on the 147,000-sf School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Named John Kapoor Hall, the $62 million facility was designed by S/L/A/M Collaborative to provide teaching and research facilities for pharmaceutical science and practice. Located on the South Campus in downtown Buffalo, N.Y., the building will be part of the planned UB Academic Health Center.

Genzyme Corp. initiated construction in September of 2009 on a $100 million R&D Center in Beijing. The 200,000-sf facility will accommodate 350 employees engaged in biologics and gene therapy research. Completion is expected in 2011.

The University of British Columbia is planning to construct a $133.3 million pharmaceutical sciences building in Vancouver, Canada. The 18,382-sm facility will house classrooms, research laboratories, and the Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD). LEED Gold certification for sustainable design will be sought for the project. Occupancy is slated for 2010.

Aushon BioSystems opened its renovated headquarters and laboratory facility in Billerica, Mass., in September of 2009. Housing an expanded laboratory and manufacturing center with increased automation for improved performance, the facility will support Aushon's multiplex immunoassay manufacturing operations as well as testing and development services. The CLIA-certified laboratories include cleanrooms, cold rooms, and a BSL-2 facility.

United Therapeutics opened its $80 million pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Research Triangle Park, N.C., in late summer of 2009. The 203,000-sf project was designed by O'Neal and provides solid dosage and sterile filling manufacturing facilities. The LEED-certified facility includes a data center, an auditorium, R&D and QA/QC labs, offices, warehouse space, and a fully integrated formulation pilot plant.

Beijing Vigoo Biological Co. is building the New Vaccine National Engineering Research Center in the Beijing Economic-Technological Developement Area. The 22,749-sm project will cost RMB 200 million to build and is slated for completion in December of 2010. Construction began in late June of 2009. Supporting vaccine research and development for H1N1 influenza, hepatitis, and measles, the facility will include five pilot-scale production lines, laboratories, and support. Beijing Vigoo Biological Co.

Medicago is partnering with Genepole to construct a flu vaccine manufacturing facility in Evry, France. The facility will utilize Medicago’s plant-based vaccine production technology. Construction of the facility will commence pending successful phase one clinical trials of an H5N1 vaccine.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded a $35 million contract in June of 2009 to Protein Sciences Corporation of Meriden, Conn., to pursue advanced development of recombinant influenza vaccine. The technology involves injecting flu virus genes into an insect virus (baculovirus) where it multiplies quickly in the insect cells, which are purified to become a part of a human vaccine.

Pfizer will invest €11 million to construct the Kilo Technology Laboratory in Ringaskiddy, Ireland. The dedicated R&D laboratory will be located in the existing Process Development Centre on Pfizer’s County Cork campus. Housing 100 employees, the facility will support the creation of new manufacturing technologies.

Esco announced the launch of a new range of Pharmacon Downflow Booths in July of 2009. Downflow booths are used in the pharmaceutical, chemical, and food industries for operations such as sampling, grinding, dispensing, and filling, which generate airborne particles. The booths support processes that involve hazardous, toxic, or sensitizing materials and protect operators and adjoining areas from exposure to aerosols of the process materials.Esco Pharmacon Downflow Booths feature:

Medco Health Solutions is expanding its Zionsville, Ind., campus with the construction of a $17.3 therapy research center. Medco is also building a $150 million mail order prescription facility. The 452,000-sf project broke ground in March of 2008 and will open in fall of 2009. The therapy research center and the prescription facility will house a total of 1,400 employees.

Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai opened its £100 million European Knowledge Centre in Hatfield, U.K., in early July of 2009. Located on 14.5 acres in the Hatfield Business Park, the facility will accommodate 500 employees. The project includes a research laboratory, a manufacturing facility, an office building, and shared facilities. The European Knowledge Centre integrates the functions of discovery research, clinical development, production, packaging, marketing, and administration. 

Lonza Group will begin construction in early 2010 on a cell therapy production facility in Singapore. Located in the Tuas Biomedical Park, the CHF 30 million project will house cGMP cell therapeutics manufacturing facilities. Completion is expected in early 2011.

Althea Technologies opened its $15 million commercial-scale biologics manufacturing facility in San Diego in May of 2009. The 30,000-sf building will support sterile production of vaccines, therapeutics, and pharmaceuticals.