Pfizer to expand biologics production with acquisition of biotech facility

Dive Brief:

Pfizer will acquire a manufacturing facility from biotech company Abzena as it seeks to bolster production capacity for its biologics pipeline, according to a Jan. 17 press release.
The new site in Sanford, North Carolina, will be used for clinical-stage manufacturing, a Pfizer spokesperson told Manufacturing Dive. While still under construction, the facility currently employs 100 people, and is expected to grow to 300 employees by 2025.
The terms of the deal will also allow Abzena and Pfizer CentreOne, the company’s contract development and manufacturing service, to collaborate on biologic products, according to the press release. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Dive Insight:

The new Sanford facility will add to Pfizer's production capacity in North Carolina, where the pharmaceutical company already has several facilities.

“The need for this specific capacity was part of the manufacturing, R&D and PC1 strategic plan," the spokesperson said. "The availability of this facility provided an opportunity to accelerate the realization of that strategy through the purchase of a site near completion and expands our manufacturing footprint in North Carolina overall.”

Pfizer has invested over $5 billion to increase its manufacturing in the U.S., with $1.4 billion invested in North Carolina, according to the press release.

Since the new facility is near Pfizer’s existing Rocky Mount, Durham and Sanford manufacturing sites, it will set up access to its turnkey services that span biologic medications through sterilization, as well as filling and sealing the containers, the spokesperson said.

“This will provide [Pfizer CentreOne] the ability to offer contract manufacturing services of biologic products which are in high demand.”

Pfizer has been making adjustments to its manufacturing footprint over the past year.

The company opened its $800 million clinical manufacturing facility in Durham in December 2021. The Durham site currently “supports GMP manufacture of vectors of gene therapies for early-stage clinical studies,” the spokesperson said.

Elsewhere in the U.S., in December, the company announced it was investing $750 million toward its largest manufacturing facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan. That’s on top of the $465 million and $120 million Pfizer has already invested, making total investment approximately $1.3 billion.

“This expansion is part of our blueprint to grow our U.S. manufacturing base, create more manufacturing jobs, and help ensure patients everywhere can get the medicines they need,” Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla said in December following the announcement of the Kalamazoo investment.