AbbVie has broken ground on a new $223 million expansion of its biologics manufacturing facility in Singapore, creating approximately 100 new jobs.
The new investment will increase the on-site workforce to 500 employees in manufacturing, quality assurance, supply chain, engineering and management roles.
Construction of the new plant at Singapore’s Tuas Biomedical Park is currently underway and, when completed, will add 24,000 liters of biologic drug substance production capacity to AbbVie’s global manufacturing network.
The company says it plans to go live in 2026 and with this new investment, it has spent more than $740 million on its Singapore site over the past decade. It is AbbVie’s only manufacturing base in Asia.
“The expansion of our Singapore site strengthens our global manufacturing capabilities, supports our growing biologics pipeline, and will help ensure that AbbVie’s patient needs now and in the future,” said Azita Saleki Gerhard, AbbVie’s chief operating officer. We will support them so that they can continue their efforts.”
AbbVie faces major challenges for its business in the coming years with the loss of patent protection for immunology giant Humira (adalimumab), with sales in the first nine months of 2023 falling by 3% decreased by 1 to $11.1 billion.
The company has been working hard to build its research and development pipeline to close the revenue gap created by biosimilar competition with Humira, and expanding the pipeline requires additional manufacturing capacity.
In recent weeks, AbbVie agreed to a $10.1 billion deal to acquire Immunogen and the antibody-drug conjugate Elahele (mirvetuximab-softansine) for the treatment of ovarian cancer, developing a central nervous system drug led by a schizophrenia candidate. acquired Celevel Therapeutics for $8.7 billion. emlacridine, and his $1.44 billion licensing deal with Umoja, an expert in in vivo cell therapy.
Singapore is a manufacturing hotspot for the biopharmaceutical and medical device industry, employing more than 24,000 workers in more than 80 facilities and generating 14 billion yen in 2022, according to the city’s Economic Development Board (EDB). It is said to have generated more than US dollars in export revenue.
Additionally, the number of biotech startups is increasing, as seen by Johnson & Johnson’s decision last year to establish one of its JLABS incubators in Singapore to tap into local talent. As a result, it is becoming increasingly popular as a base for research and development.
Tuas Biomedical Park is home to 14 companies employing approximately 7,000 people, including Amgen, GSK, Pfizer, Sanofi, MSD, Novartis, Roche and others in AbbVie’s vicinity.
“We are grateful for AbbVie’s continued confidence in the strength of Singapore’s biopharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities and talent base,” EDB Executive Vice President Cindy Koh said at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility. .