Basel, Switzerland, 29 March 2011 – Today, Lonza announces the investment of £16 million to further develop the flexibility and capability of its Slough, UK biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility to respond to a broader range of customer projects and strengthen its global network of biologics development and manufacturing.
An integral part of the investment is the construction of a new 60,000 square foot building adjacent to existing buildings to create a Slough campus. The investment includes a new fermentation suite, new purification suites, new process development laboratories and a new GMP warehouse.
The Lonza Slough site develops and manufactures antibodies and therapeutic proteins used in the clinical stages of drug development and ongoing commercial supply of marketed biopharmaceutical products. The FDA/MHRA approved manufacturing site includes a small-scale pilot plant and a range of GMP production reactor capacities between 200 and 2000 liters, and houses Lonza’s Biopharmaceutical Center of Excellence (mammalian) offering cell line construction, upstream and downstream process development and a broad range of analytical services to the biopharmaceutical industry. The site has been operational since 1985 and currently employs approximately 650 employees.
“The planned investment is aligned with our strategic direction for the site and will further enhance our operational capability,” said Gordon Bates, Head of Lonza’s Slough Facility. “We are delighted with the investment and eager to push on and realize the benefits of the investment for both our employees and our customers.” The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2012 with no disruption to ongoing activities.
“A key pillar of our strategic initiatives for the development services business is portfolio expansion”, said Janet White, Head of Lonza Development Services. “This investment will allow us to support the immediate and future needs of both established and emerging clients.”
About Lonza
Lonza is one of the world’s leading suppliers to the pharmaceutical, healthcare and life science industries. Products and services span its customers’ needs from research to final product manufacture. It is the global leader in the production and support of active pharmaceutical ingredients both chemically as well as biotechnologically. Biopharmaceuticals are one of the key growth drivers of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Lonza has strong capabilities in large and small molecules, peptides, amino acids and niche bioproducts which play an important role in the development of novel medicines and healthcare products. In addition, Lonza is a leader in cell-based research, endotoxin detection and cell therapy manufacturing. Furthermore, the company is a leading provider of value chemical and biotech ingredients to the nutrition, hygiene, preservation, agro and personal care markets.
Lonza is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland and is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. In 2010, the company had sales of CHF 2.680 billion. Further information can be found at www.lonza.com.
