Genzyme to invest US$80m at Framingham site in US
To expand manufacturing capacity for Fabrazyme
Genzyme, a US-based biotechnology firm acquired by French drugmaker Sanofi in 2011, is investing US$80m to expand drug manufacturing capacity at its Framingham facility in Massachusetts.
The new plant, which will be located adjacent to a new cell culture manufacturing site, will significantly expand purification capacity to support anticipated growth in global demand for Fabrazyme over the coming years, the firm said.
Fabrazyme is a treatment for Fabry disease, a life-threatening genetic disorder linked to the X chromosome, which globally affects around 5,000 people.
'As we continue to meet the global demands for Fabrazyme and build inventory, our focus also remains on the future needs of the global Fabry community,' said Genzyme President and CEO, David Meeker. 'Following last year’s regulatory approvals of our manufacturing facility in Framingham and a new vial filling line at our plant in Waterford, Ireland, we continue to execute on our global manufacturing strategy, enhancing our capabilities across the entire manufacturing process for Fabrazyme.'
Downstream processing involves the purification of material harvested from the cell culture manufacturing process. The final product, which is administered as an intravenous (IV) infusion, is formulated and fill-finished in a separate facility in Waterford, and shipped to multiple distribution centres for labelling, packaging and shipping around the world.