MedImmune, Inc. Expansion To Create Hundreds Of Jobs

A new MedImmune plant in Frederick will create more than 200 jobs in Maryland in the next four years, a huge boost to the state's biotechnology industry and another win for Frederick County's growing vaccine-production community. The Gaithersburg-based biotech giant is building the manufacturing facility adjacent to its existing plant in Frederick. MedImmune CEO David Mott said previously that in the past 12 months the drug developer, which also is expanding its Gaithersburg headquarters, has added about 400 jobs, bringing its staff to about 2,100. The headquarters expansion could add more than 600 jobs on top of those at the new plant. The company employs 1,000 people in Maryland, with about 225 workers in Frederick and 775 workers in Gaithersburg, said spokeswoman Jamie Lacey. Construction costs associated with the first phase of the Frederick expansion are estimated at $250 million. The new plant will include two additional commercial-scale bioreactors, used to produce monoclonal antibodies, which are biotech drugs that MedImmune sells and has an expertise in manufacturing. The first phase, expected to be completed in late 2009, will have 331,000 square feet of office, lab and manufacturing space to accommodate up to 225 more employees. The remaining phases will include 379,000 square feet of additional space. MedImmune executives would not say how much the entire Frederick expansion may cost.