Roche subsidiary Genentech expands in manufacturing
pharmafile | March 31, 2015 | News story | Manufacturing and Production, Sales and Marketing | Genentech, Roche, hillsboro, manufacturing, oregon
Californian drugmaker Genentech is planning a $125 million expansion at its Hillsboro manufacturing centre in Oregon.
The Roche subsidiary plant first opened in 2010 but this significant outlay will bolster its biologics production and add many more jobs it says.
“This investment in our sterile production operations will result in the addition of up to 100 new skilled manufacturing jobs in the greater Portland area over the next five years, potentially bringing the total number of Genentech jobs in Oregon to over 500,” says Larry Sanders, general manager and vice president, Hillsboro technical operations.
The site is home to a state-of-the-art fill/finish facility and warehousing and distribution centre, and the expansion of operations at the Hillsboro facility is part of the firm’s strategy to boost manufacturing capacity.
Another facility with a similar role in Mannheim, Germany, is also expanding.
Oregon officials recruited Genentech in the mid-2000s, hoping it could form the core of a biotech sector as Intel has done for the computer business.
Genentech said it was won over by Oregon tax structure and several additional incentives, among them being a 15-year $23 million property tax exemption.
The firm has recently announced partnering with US genetics company Human Longevity in another 2015 genomics deal to continue its push into that field.
Genentech says it was the first biotech company to scale up protein manufacturing successfully, from the small quantities used for research to the much larger quantities needed for clinical trials and marketing.
Along with Roche they boast to have more FDA-approved manufacturing capacity for the production of biotech medicines than any other company.
“This announcement is another indicator that this is an exciting time in Oregon’s history,” says governor Kate Brown. “Genentech’s investment in its Hillsboro campus and Oregon’s robust workforce underscore that Oregon is a great place for all businesses to build their future and for the biotech sector to grow.”
Brett Wells
Related Content
Eli Lilly increases manufacturing investment to $9bn at new Indiana site
Eli Lilly has announced that it has more than doubled its investment at its Lebanon, …
AstraZeneca to build $1.5bn ADC facility in Singapore
AstraZeneca has announced that it intends to build a $1.5bn manufacturing facility in Singapore, Singapore, …
FDA approves Roche’s HPV self-collection screening option
Roche has announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its human …
