EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was corrected to reflect that the new plant will make biologic medicines. Amgen Inc. announced on Thursday the completion of its Next-Generation Biomanufacturing facility in Singapore, which it said would provide a model for future plants. The Thousand Oaks pharmaceutical company said its facility in Tuas is designed to produce biologics, which are chemicals made inside living organisms. The plant has various new technologies, including disposable plastic components and real-time quality analysis, to enable faster manufacturing. “This flexible, modular design can be replicated in future facilities, enabling higher production and greater accessibility to patients around the world,” the company said in the announcement. Amgen had previously said the 120,000-square-foot plant would cost $200 million. Amgen is currently working on developing biosimilars, including ABP 501, a drug that treats the skin condition psoriasis. It would compete against Humira, a blockbuster manufactured by AbbVie Inc., in North Chicago, whose patent protection will start to expire in 2016 Chief Executive Robert Bradway said Amgen selected Singapore as the location because it has a talented workforce and a commitment to the biotech industry. The company expects the new plant will have the same annual output as a conventional facility but in a single building that will use less energy and water. Also, Amgen said it will soon break ground on adjacent facility to make the active ingredient for Kyprolis, a cancer novel drug it recently acquired. Amgen has conventional manufacturing plants at its headquarters campus in Thousand Oaks and in Colorado, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Ireland, in addition to six plants in Puerto Rico. Shares closed up 4 cents or a fraction of a percent to $162.68 on the Nasdaq.
