Merck Opens euro 59 Million CDMO Facility to Address Demand for Critical Cancer Therapies
PR96661
DARMSTADT, Germany, June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --
DARMSTADT, Germany, June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Merck, a leading
science and technology company, announced that its Life Science business sector
has doubled its high-potent active pharmaceutical ingredients (HPAPI)
production capacity with the expansion of its facility in Verona, near Madison,
Wisconsin, USA. This new euro59 million, 70,000 square foot facility,
officially opened today, brings 50 new jobs to the area.
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1845670/Verona_expansion_image.jpg
"There is an increasing demand for HPAPIs due to their effectiveness against
cancer at lower doses and the trend towards more targeted therapeutics.
Lower-doses of these therapies reduce the negative side effects for patients
who are taking on this critical fight," said Dirk Lange, head of Life Science
Services, Life Science, at Merck. "Increasing capacity at our state-of-the-art
CDMO facility in Verona, Wisconsin will allow us to meet the need for these key
cancer treatment components."
Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide[1]. HPAPIs are a critical
element of targeted therapies due to their extremely effective cell-killing
abilities at low doses, resulting in reduced side effects for patients. They
are used in novel cancer therapies, including antibody drug conjugates (ADCs),
which are changing the landscape of cancer treatments.
Merck has been developing multi-step, complex, and highly potent compounds for
more than 30 years and continues to be an industry leader in the development
and manufacture of these components. HPAPIs require specialized handling and
manufacturing facilities that protect the safety of employees and their
environment. Many potential life-saving treatments never make it to market in
part due to the specialized handling requirements. Merck's Verona, Wisconsin
site was the second facility in the world to be SafeBridge(R)-certified and the
company continues to meet these rigorous safety and containment requirements
necessary to this day. In fact, this expansion positions Merck as one of the
largest single-digit nanogram occupational exposure limit (OEL) CDMO providers
in the world. HPAPIs are measured with the most potent registering less than 10
nanograms per cubic meter. Single-digit nanogram HPAPIs require highly
specialized handling, which is reflected by the OEL designation.
In addition to HPAPI production, Merck also has extensive experience developing
and manufacturing ADCs. Being the first CDMO to manufacture commercially
approved ADC drugs in North America, the company recently launched new
technologies to advance ADC therapies. Its unique ChetoSensarTM technology
gives new promise to ADCs by alleviating solubility challenges, and Merck's new
DOLCORETM platform significantly reduces development and manufacturing time
required, increasing speed-to-market by up to a year, ultimately getting needed
therapies to patients quicker.
With more than 30 years of CDMO experience in the development and manufacturing
of HPAPIs, linkers and mAbs, Merck offers significant expertise in both
clinical and commercial manufacturing. The company also has extensive CDMO
experience in viral vector, lipids, LNP and mRNA manufacturing— from
pre-clinical to commercial — helping to streamline steps of drug development
and production with a single, highly experienced partner. Additionally,
BioReliance(R) contract testing services are integrated into the overall
Services offering to further streamline the development path.
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About Merck
Merck, a leading science and technology company, operates across life science,
healthcare and electronics. More than 60,000 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 2021, Merck generated
sales of euro 19.7 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 MilliporeSigma in life science, EMD Serono
in healthcare, and EMD Electronics in electronics.
[1] "Global Cancer Facts & Figures 4th Edition,
SOURCE Merck
CONTACT: Rachel Bloom Baglin, Phone: +49 6151 72-44461
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