Merck's US and Canadian Life Science business, MilliporeSigma, has inaugurated its novel biosafety testing facility in Maryland, US.
The 23,000 sqft site, which cost €290m to build, will cater to the growing global demand for testing and analytical capabilities, which are suitable for those looking to develop and commercialise drugs.
MilliporeSigma's facility will house capabilities in analytical development, cell banking manufacturing and biosafety testing, and brings together the activity of four separate laboratories into a single facility.
According to Merck, the updated site will enable the better implementation of automation and digitalisation into the company's workflow, promoting accuracy and efficiency.
Merck's German Life Science has made notable investments during the past five years — expanding its biosafety testing capabilities for its clients globally.
This includes sites in Shanghai, Singapore, Stirling and Glasgow.
Advanced testing capabilities
The facility will be able to serve customers with advanced testing needs, with a rapid methods package accelerating the viral testing of bulk harvest material.
This package is the first to include the Blazar CHO Animal Origin Free panel, which can detect virus families.
Notably, assay results can be validated in 14 days, which is significantly quicker than the traditional 35 days when employing standard methods.
Merck's Head of Life Science Services, Benjamin Hein, commented: “This expansion is the largest investment in contract testing in the company’s history and will allow us to drive automation and technology development in one integrated hub,”
“It reflects our commitment to providing our clients with disruptive platforms that shorten biosafety testing timelines, meet the growing global demand, and ensure the safety of the world’s medicines for patients.”