Dive Brief:
- Pfizer announced Tuesday that it plans to spend $465 million to build a sterile injectable manufacturing plant in Portage, Michigan.
- The big pharma already has a plant nearby that employs 2,200 people, and expects the new Modular Aseptic Processing (MAP) facility will add 450 new jobs.
- The multi-story manufacturing facility will provide 400,000 square feet of production space. Groundbreaking is expected in 2019 and construction should be completed by 2021. Production at the plant is expected to begin in 2024 after it has been validated by regulatory authorities.
Dive Insight:
After being pummeled by the president for raising drug prices (and then subsequently pausing them), Pfizer is trumpeting its plan to bring jobs to the U.S. — potentially looking to garner favor with the administration.
The big pharma intends to increase its manufacturing staff in Kalamazoo County, Michigan by building the new facility. The project is part of a larger plan announced by the company earlier this year to invest $5 billion in U.S.-based projects and manufacturing in response to the new corporate tax law. Pfizer intends to invest $1.1 billion in the Kalamazoo County area over the next six years.
"Sterile drug product manufacturing is incredibly complex. This contemporary facility will combine cutting-edge technology and a highly talented workforce to assure we remain a trusted and reliable supplier of these therapies to patients," said Ron Perry, site leader for the Portage plant, in a statement.
Pfizer has come under fire over the last couple of years as the U.S. has faced shortages on key drugs. The company's 2015 acquisition of Hospira made it one of the largest manufacturers of injectable drugs. Yet, it has also faced manufacturing woes at one of its core plants in McPherson, Kansas, leading to production issues.