Pharmaceutical

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is partnering with Battelle, IBM, Merck, and GE Healthcare to plan the construction of a vaccine factory in the Pittsburgh area. Operated in partnership with the federal government, the facility would support rapid response to bioterrorism and infectious disease threats. The construction cost of the vaccine factory is estimated at $900 million.

Lotus Pharmaceuticals began construction in March of 2010 on a nine-story building in Beijing. Housing offices, R&D facilities, production space, and storage, the project will include GMP pharmaceutical manufacturing suites.

Genzyme is expanding its research facilities in Cambridge in the United Kingdom with the construction of a 10,000-sf addition atop its existing 8,000-sf Europe Research Facility. Doubling laboratory and office space, the project will expand pharmaceutical R&D capabilities as well as providing space for clinical trials.

Sinovac Biotech is establishing a five-building vaccine manufacturing campus in Beijing, China. The 32,323-sm project represents an investment of $17.6 million. Housing two production lines, filling and packaging, warehouse space, and a vivarium, the campus will produce vaccines for influenza and enterovirus 71. The facilities will be fully operational in 2012.

South Dakota State University is building the $51 million Avera Health and Science Center in Brookings, S.D. Created in partnership with Avera Health, the 144,000-sf project is comprised of 96,000 sf of new construction and 48,000 sf of renovated space. Housing the College of Pharmacy and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the center will provide classrooms, teaching and research laboratories, and faculty offices. Construction began on the project in June of 2008. The facility will open in fall of 2010.

The University of Kentucky dedicated the 286,000-sf College of Pharmacy in Lexington in January of 2010. Designed by EOP Architects in association with Ellenzweig, the six-story project features lecture halls, classrooms, offices, teaching and research labs, and a five-story atrium. Construction began on the $134 million facility in fall of 2007. The general contractor for the project was Messer Construction.

Sanofi-aventis opened the $60 million Tucson Research Center in Oro Valley, Ariz., in January of 2010. Housing up to 105 researchers engaged in early stage drug development, the 110,350-sf facility was designed by KlingStubbins with DPR Construction as general contractor. Construction began on the project in fall of 2007. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the laboratory facility, which uses 21.5 percent less energy than a comparable building.

Almac Group is building a $78.5 million headquarters and pharmaceutical production complex in Lower Salford Township, Pa. The 240,000-sf, two-building project includes a 74,500-sf office building and a 165,600-sf production facility. The complex was designed by Francis Cauffman Architects, Genesis Engineering, and Barry Isett & Associates. The construction manager for the project is Skanska USA Building. Construction began on the facilities in July of 2008 and completion is expected in 2010.

Novartis opened a $250 million technical R&D center in Suzhou, China, in November of 2009. The 10,801-sm pharmaceutical research facility will also support the manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates. Construction began on the center in February of 2006. The facility is comprised of a 4,815-sm pilot plant and 5,986-sm of laboratories. Three additional production buildings, with a footprint of 9,682-sm each, are also located on the site.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is initiating a $40 million expansion of its headquarters in Tarrytown, N.Y. The lease of an additional 131,000-sf building will accommodate expanded research and development operations. Regeneron occupies two other laboratory and office facilities at the site, for a total footprint of 390,000 sf. 

Novartis opened its influenza vaccine manufacturing facility in Holly Springs, N.C., in November of 2009. The $1 billion project was developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The facility is designed to supply 150 million doses of vaccine within six months of the declaration of a pandemic. The building supports a cell culture-based manufacturing process and is expected to reach full-scale commercial production in 2013.

Pfizer is planning to establish a research and development center in Wuhan, China. Supporting early clinical development of drugs, the R&D facility will foster collaboration with local universities and research institutes to create innovative biopharmaceutical projects. Housing 200 employees, the facility will be located at Biolake, also known as the Wuhan National Bioindustry Base.

Roche opened its $500 million biologics manufacturing facility in Singapore in fall of 2009. Located in the Tuas Biomedical Park, the two-building complex will support advanced pharmaceutical production. The project was initiated by Genentech, now a subsidiary of Roche.

SRI International dedicated the 40,000-sf Center for Advanced Drug Research in Harrisonburg, Va., in November of 2009. Located in the Rockingham County Research and Technology Park, the project houses offices and bioscience labs arranged in clusters to maximize open space. The facility was designed by HOK and built by Nielsen Builders.

Eli Lilly and Co. opened its new biotechnology center in San Diego in fall of 2009. Located in the 450,000-sf Campus Pointe complex near UC San Diego in La Jolla, the facility will house up to 200 scientists engaged in the research and development of potential medicines. The Lilly Biotechnology Center will also provide space for clinical trials.