Eisai to build new US research facility
Eisai Inc, the US pharmaceutical subsidiary of the global human health care company Esai Co, plans to build a new pharmaceutical production and formulation r&d facility for parenteral oncology treatments at the Research Triangle Park (RTP) in North Carolina.
Eisai Inc, the US pharmaceutical subsidiary of the global human health care company Esai Co, plans to build a new pharmaceutical production and formulation r&d facility for parenteral oncology treatments at the Research Triangle Park (RTP) in North Carolina.
Eisai has a number of drugs in development for patients with cancer and the $90m, 65,000 sq ft facility will encompass aseptic processing suites, laboratories and other support functions. In addition, a separate $15m central utilities building is planned to supply power, steam, chilled water and compressed air to both the new and existing facilities.
Building is scheduled to start this autumn with operations beginning in 2009. The new facilities will lead to 59 new jobs over the next three years and a total of 84 new jobs over the next five years.
'We are excited to expand our operations in RTP, where our high compliance standards will be instrumental for global regulatory approvals and production of our first anticipated oncology product,' said Lou Arp, vice-president, production operations.
The existing 190,000 sq ft facility is devoted to producing Aricept (donepezil hydrochloride tablets) and Aciphex (rabeprazole sodium) tablets as well as formulation r&d and manufacturing of compounds for use in clinical trials.
'The new buildings will complement the existing r&d operations and enhance our capability to develop and produce intravenous drug product in support of our clinical development programs in oncology,' said Ray Wood, vice-president of pharmaceutical and analytical r&d at Eisai.