Roche Plans Major Biologics Manufacturing Investment

Roche plans to invest CHF 800 million ($879 million) within its global manufacturing network to increase production capabilities for its biologic medicines over the next five years. The investment will be spread across sites in the following locations: Penzberg, Germany; Basel, Switzerland; and Vacaville and Oceanside, California in the United States. Approximately 500 new jobs are expected to be created in conjunction with the facility expansions.

The investment will support increasing demand for Roche's licensed biologic medicines, such as RoACTEMRA (tocilizumab), Kadcyla (trastuzumab emtansine), and Perjeta (pertuzumab) as well as provide a manufacturing foundation for 39 investigational biologic medicines in the Roche pipeline.

Biologic manufacturing capacity will be increased at sites in Vacaville and Oceanside with a planned investment of approximately CHF 260 million ($285.6 million) and create approximately 250 new jobs. In Penzberg, Roche will invest approximately CHF 350 million ($384 million) toward increased manufacturing capacity and equipment refurbishment and create approximately 200 positions.

In addition, Roche will construct an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) production facility in Basel, Switzerland through an investment of more than CHF 190 million ($209 million), which is expected to create 50 jobs. This investment will provide additional capacity and flexibility to support Roche’s first approved ADC, Kadcyla, and a further eight ADCs in clinical development, according to Roche.

Source: Roche