Roche opened its $500 million biologics manufacturing facility in Singapore in fall of 2009. Located in the Tuas Biomedical Park, the two-building complex will support advanced pharmaceutical production. The project was initiated by Genentech, now a subsidiary of Roche.
SRI International dedicated the 40,000-sf Center for Advanced Drug Research in Harrisonburg, Va., in November of 2009. Located in the Rockingham County Research and Technology Park, the project houses offices and bioscience labs arranged in clusters to maximize open space. The facility was designed by HOK and built by Nielsen Builders.
Eli Lilly and Co. opened its new biotechnology center in San Diego in fall of 2009. Located in the 450,000-sf Campus Pointe complex near UC San Diego in La Jolla, the facility will house up to 200 scientists engaged in the research and development of potential medicines. The Lilly Biotechnology Center will also provide space for clinical trials.
Northwestern University dedicated the $100 million Richard and Barbara Silverman Hall for Molecular Therapeutics and Diagnostics in Evanston, Ill., in November of 2009. The 147,000-gsf interdisciplinary research facility houses the Chemistry of Life Processes Institute and approximately 245 researchers and staff from the physical sciences, life sciences, and engineering. Comprised of four stories above ground and one below, Silverman Hall will support collaborative biomedical research and the creation of new medicines and technologies.
CPL Biologicals broke ground in fall of 2009 on an influenza vaccine manufacturing facility in Ahmedabad, India. The 25,000-sf building will be operational in the first quarter of 2010. The facility will use virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine technology to produce commercial-scale quantities of VLP-based influenza vaccines. The plant will be able to produce over 60 million doses annually at full capacity. CPL Biologicals is a joint venture of Novavax and Cadila Pharmaceuticals of India.
EMD Serono is engaged in a $65 million expansion of its research campus in Billerica, Mass. The 140,000-sf facility will house laboratories for pharmaceutical research and production, including 25,000-sf of chemistry and screening labs and 25,000-sf of biology and cell culture labs. The building will also house offices, conference rooms, and an auditorium. Construction began on the project in fall of 2008 and completion is expected in late 2010. LEED sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility.
The University of Florida is planning to construct the $61 million Academic and Research Center in the Lake Nona biomedical district in Orlando. The four-story, 115,000-sf facility will house the Comprehensive Drug Development Center; the UF College of Pharmacy doctoral program, and biomedical research laboratories. Designed to foster collaboration with the adjacent Burnham Institute for Medical Research, the Academic and Research Center will support accelerated development of medical treatments through translational research.
SAFC Pharma completed the expansion of its $12 million contract manufacturing facility in October of 2009. Located in Carlsbad, Calif., the BSL-2 project features two fully segregated viral product manufacturing suites. Utilizing disposable bioreactor technologies, the expansion will enable SAFC Pharma to produce biologics, viral vaccines, and gene therapies in commercial-scale quantities. The facility includes dedicated cell expansion, bioreactor production, purification, and cleanroom suites. The project added 8,000-sf to the existing 44,000-sf building.
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.
