Merck builds new plant for APIs and excipients
Merck KGaA has started construction of a Euro 30m plant to manufacture inorganic salts at its Darmstadt site in Germany.
Merck KGaA has started construction of a Euro 30m plant to manufacture inorganic salts at its Darmstadt site in Germany.
The plant will produce active ingredients and excipients for use in biopharmaceutical production processes, laboratory reagents and food additives. Capacity will increase by around 50% compared with the production lines currently being used, the company says.
The plant is scheduled to begin operation in mid-2011, when nearly 70 employees in inorganic chemical production will move to the new facilities.
"The cornerstone has been laid for a key investment in the future," said Klaus Bischoff, head of the performance and life science chemicals division at Merck. "This expansion of capacity and modernisation is our response to the growing global demand for and high requirements placed on quality and product safety for final pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical formulations. At the same time, the new plant is a strong commitment to Darmstadt as a Merck chemical production site."