Biogen has unveiled plans to invest an additional $2bn in its existing manufacturing footprint in North Carolina, US.
The upcoming investment in the state’s Research Triangle Park (RTP), where Biogen first broke ground in 1995, is aimed at fuelling the “continued advancement” of the company’s late-stage clinical pipeline.
Spanning 7,000 acres, the RTP is home to hundreds of companies, including science and technology firms, government agencies, academic institutions, startups and nonprofits.
Biogen said it will continue to invest in “multiple modalities and factories” across its two RTP campuses over the next few years.
This will include establishing clinical and commercial multi-platform fill finish capabilities, and further expanding its antisense oligonucleotide capabilities and infrastructure.
The funds will also go towards modernising manufacturing technologies and controls through further advanced automation and artificial intelligence.
Nicole Murphy, head of pharmaceutical operations and technology at Biogen, said the company’s manufacturing footprint in the US has played a “critical role” in “advancing the treatments that are making an impact for patients, families and communities” in the US and globally.
She continued: “With this investment, we will modernise and expand our manufacturing capability to enable our pipeline and provide resilient patient supply, while continuing to support the skilled and dedicated community of life sciences talent in North Carolina.”
The commitment comes just four months after Biogen announced plans to open a new global headquarters and innovation hub in Massachusetts, US.
The company signed a 15-year lease for an office and research and development (R&D) space at Cambridge’s Kendall Common, a new development project spearheaded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Spanning approximately 580,000-square-feet, the facility will integrate Biogen’s R&D and technical operations teams together with its global and North American commercial organisations.
It is expecting to relocate its Cambridge-based employees to the new site when it celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2028.