Pfizer has selected Gilbane Building Company in a joint venture with Tarlton Corporation as the Construction Manager for Pfizer's new research facility in Chesterfield, Mo. The four-story, 330,000-sf facility is part of a nearly $200-million expansion of Pfizer's existing four-building site. Gilbane's Chicago office and Tarlton's St. Louis office will oversee the project with the design team of Kling Architects.
Temple University's School of Pharmacy opened a 700-sf drug manufacturing facility in February of 2006. Located on the fourth floor of the pharmacy school building in north Philadelphia, the facility adheres to FDA cGMP requirements and features a sophisticated air-filtration system, a non-porous ceiling, and seamless flooring. The plant will manufacture capsules and tablets used in phase-I and phase-II clinical trials in batches of between 1,000 and 100,000 units.
Biotech giant Amgen will expand its South San Francisco campus with the addition of 500,000 sf of R&D space over the next three years. The first 92,000-sf facility is under construction; a second 92,000-sf structure will break ground in spring of 2006. The two buildings will house up to 700 employees total. Amgen also has an option to occupy three new adjacent buildings, yet to be constructed, with footprints of 100,000 sf each.
SAFC, a custom chemical manufacturing unit of Sigma Aldrich, has completed a $12-million expansion of its Madison, Wisc., facility. The Advanced Pharma Intermediates (API) building was expanded by 38,000 sf, more than doubling the existing 23,500-sf facility and its cGMP manufacturing capabilities. The two-story project added three new kilo laboratories, increased storage and warehouse space, and expanded SAFC's R&D laboratores to eight. The facility will begin commercial operations when it officially opens in March.
Novartis AG began construction in February 2006 on a new research, development, and production plant in Changshu, Jiangsu Province, China. Part of the Switzerland-based pharmaceutical company's global production and supply chain, the $83-million project is expected to be fully operation by year-end 2007. Novartis is also planning to expand its Beijing Novartis Pharma plant and possibly construct an additional research facility in China as part of the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research.
Novartis broke ground in July 2005 on a $116-million expansion of its East Hanover, N.J., headquarters campus. Two 144,000-sf facilities will be constructed, the first reaching completion in October of 2006, the second in May of 2007.
Pfizer is planning a three-phase expansion of its New Jersey operations. Phase one is comprised of construction of a $218.5-million, 250,000-sf research and development building in Morris Plains. Phase two is construction of a 450,000-sf to 500,000-sf office facility, also in Morris Plains. Phase three consists of construction of a 160,000-sf research and development addition, including renovation of adjacent space for manufacturing support in Parsippany.
United Therapeutics will complete construction on its $32-million laboratory production facility in Silver Spring, Md., in spring of 2006. Sited adjacent to the company's existing biotech headquarters, the 50,000-sf, three-story building was developed and funded by Wachovia Development, who will lease it back to United Therapeutics through 2011. The facility, which broke ground in 2004, will accommodate drug development and pilot production.
Biovalve Technologies, a manufacturer of drug-delivery systems, will expand its 23,500-sf research and development facility in Westborough, Mass., by 40,000 sf to 45,000 sf. Adding manufacturing capacity, the expansion will begin by spring of 2006 with initial clinical and commercial production beginning at the facility by the end of the year. The project represents an investment of $8 million.
Arizona State University is constructing the $12-million Interdisciplinary Science and Technology building at its Polytechnic campus in Mesa, Ariz. The three-story, 34,600-sf facility will house the Biodesign Institute's Plant Made Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturing Facility, the Applied Cognitive Science Center, and the Healthy Lifestyles Center. Including 25,000 sf of research space, wet labs, offices, conference rooms, observation rooms, and exercise facilities, the building is slated for completion by the end of 2005.
New York-based Pfizer began construction in November 2005 on a 330,000-sf expansion of its 900,000-sf Chesterfield, Mo., campus. Slated to open in 2008, the $200-million research and development facility will accommodate approximately 250 employees relocated from other sites engaged in drug research. The four-story building is slated for completion in late 2008 and is being constructed by a joint venture of Gilbane Building Co. and Tarlton Corp.
Menlo Park, Calif.-based Bridge Pharmaceuticals is opening a 100,000-sf research facility in the Zhong-guancun Life Science Park in Beijing, China. The facility is designed to meet U.S. regulatory standards for animal testing and laboratory practice. Additionally, the contract research company is planning to acquire a preclinical testing facility in Taiwan.
The University of Kentucky will complete the $17-million Center for Pharmaceutical Science and Technology on the 735-acre Coldstream Research Campus in Lexington in February of 2006. The center is one of two in the nation approved by the FDA to manufacture small drug batches for human trials. Additionally, private developer Kale Roscoe of Michigan is planning to construct two five-story buildings housing offices and labs at the research park.
Bavarian Nordic A/S started vaccine production at its 9,000-square meter facility in Kvistgaard, Denmark, on July 4, 2005. Built by engineering and consultancy company NNE , construction on the 11-month fast-track project began on August 1, 2004. The facility can produce 40 to 60 million doses of Imvamune™ (the company’s MVA smallpox vaccine) annually.
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals opened its 1.2 million-sf Grange Castle biotech production facility on September 8, 2005. Located in South County Dublin, Ireland, the $2 billion project began site work in October of 2002. Employing over 1,000 workers, the facility is comprised of three separate buildings: a drug development unit, a drug substance site, and a drug product facility. Production will begin on a phased basis over the next four years.
