PR92246

DARMSTADT, Germany, Oct. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

- Expansion in Carlsbad, California, USA, doubles production capacity to

support commercialization and industrialization of viral vectors

- Investment serves customers in addressing larger patient populations with new

curative treatments

- Enables suspension production of viral vectors up to 1,000-liter scale

- Project adds to company's ambition to accelerate growth through investments

in "Big 3" businesses, which includes plans to expand Process Solutions'

contract manufacturing and development organization (CDMO) services for

traditional and novel modalities

Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced the opening of

its second Carlsbad, California-based facility, significantly expanding its

global CDMO footprint. This new EUR100 million, 140,000-square foot facility

will more than double the company's existing capacity to support large-scale

commercial and industrial manufacturing for viral gene therapy, in a market

expected to grow to $10 billion by 2026.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1657458/Merck_Carlsbad.jpg

"Today, most gene therapies target rare diseases, but there is an urgent need

to efficiently manufacture these treatments to reach larger patient

populations," said Matthias Heinzel, Member of the Executive Board of Merck and

CEO Life Science. "As a leader in viral vector manufacturing, this increase in

capacity and scale is the next step in enabling our customers to bring new

curative treatments to market."

This is the company's second Carlsbad, California-based facility to serve cell

and gene therapy customers driven by the industry's rapid adoption of viral

vector-based therapies. Between the two facilities, there are 30 cleanroom

suites to support all aspects of manufacturing from small- to large-scale

clinical and commercial production. The new facility leverages cutting-edge

suspension technology to enable scalable and cost-effective manufacturing.

"We are continuing to invest in solving cell and gene therapy challenges in

development and manufacturing, working alongside drug developers to

industrialize, scale and accelerate the path to deliver therapies to patients,"

Heinzel added.

The expansion of the Carlsbad facility adds to the company's ambition to

accelerate growth through investments in the "Big 3", including the Process

Solutions business unit within the Life Science business sector as a key driver.

Merck has proven its commercial execution and global regulatory success as one

of the first CDMOs to be granted U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European

Medicines Agency approval for viral vector manufacturing. With nearly 30 years

of experience in cell and gene therapy, Merck offers unique CDMO services

streamlined as a single, highly experienced provider.

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About Merck

Merck, a leading science and technology company, operates across healthcare,

life science and electronics. Around 58,000 employees work to make a positive

difference to millions of people's lives every day by creating more joyful and

sustainable ways to live. From advancing gene editing technologies and

discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the

intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2020, Merck generated

sales of EUR17.5 billion in 66 countries.

Scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to

Merck's technological and scientific advances. This is how Merck has thrived

since its founding in 1668. The founding family remains the majority owner of

the publicly listed company. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name

and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the

business sectors of Merck operate as EMD Serono in healthcare, MilliporeSigma

in life science, and EMD Electronics.

SOURCE  Merck

CONTACT: chantal.gilsdorf@merckgroup.com Phone: +49 151 1454 2860