Teva will invest $56m in Canadian plant
pharmafile | June 7, 2010 | News story | Manufacturing and Production |Â Â Canada, Teva, productionÂ
Israeli generic drugmaker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries is planning to spend $54 million to expand a Canadian production plant for solid dose products, including high-potency active pharmaceutical ingredients (HPAPIs).
The news is a boost for Teva’s manufacturing operations, which have been in the news for the wrong reasons of late after the company was forced to temporarily shut down production at a facility in the US because of contamination problems.
“Teva’s high potent product manufacturing facility expansion in Stouffville, Ontario will enable us to secure Canadian and export mandates for high-quality, value-priced generic medicines,” commented Barry Fishman, president and chief executive of Teva Canada.
The province of Ontario lured Teva’s investment with the help of a $6.5 million grant designed to help national subsidiary Teva Canada Ltd retain 182 workers at the 129,000 sq. ft. plant and hire an additional 20 staff.
“This partnership with the Ontario government to construct an advanced manufacturing facility will increase Teva Canada’s capabilities and capacity and allow us to retain and grow high-value jobs in Ontario,” said Fishman.
More than half of the drugs produced by Teva in Canada are exported.
Propofol production will not resume
Meanwhile, Teva has confirmed it has no intention of restarting production of the short-acting anaesthetic propofol at its facility in Irvine, California, which was recalled from the market last year because of bacterial contamination.
The company said earlier it stopped making propofol at the plant several weeks ago, and has now decided that it will not resume production because the product is difficult to manufacture and not very profitable.
The generic company was recently ordered by a Nevada court to pay a whopping $356 million in damages to a man who maintains he contracted hepatitis C after a receiving Teva-made propofol from a re-used vial.
Baxter International, which acted as the distributor for the propofol product, was also ordered to pay $144 million in damages. Teva agued that the single-use propofol vial was used incorrectly and has said it plans to appeal the verdict.
Phil Taylor
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