Abraxis to buy Pfizer manufacturing plant

This 56-acre site consists of a 172,000 square foot validated manufacturing plant with capabilities of producing EU and US compliant injectable pharmaceuticals, as well as protein-based biologics and metered dosed inhalers. In addition, the acquisition includes a state-of-the-art, computer-controlled 90,000 square foot active pharmaceutical ingredients manufacturing plant, and two support facilities with quality assurance and laboratories, totaling 262,000 square feet.

This facility, which is expected to employ approximately 400 to 500 people when fully-operational, will provide a third manufacturing site using the company’s proprietary nanoparticle albumin bound (nab) technology to produce chemotherapeutics such as Abraxane for Injectable Suspension, the first commercial product based on this technology.

Under the terms of the agreement, Abraxis will lease the chemical raw material plant back to Pfizer to continue the manufacturing of Pfizer’s celecoxib, the active ingredient in Celebrex

Abraxis said that it is now positioned to be one of the broadest injectable manufacturers of sterile injectable pharmaceuticals in the industry with the ability to manufacture products in diverse dosage forms such as vials, bag-fill, pre-filled syringe, lyophilized, powder-fill, liquid-fill (aseptically filled and terminally sterilized) and metered dose inhalers for both the US and European markets.

Indeed, combined with the world’s only protein-based nanoparticle GMP manufacturing facility and the ability to vertically integrate into raw material manufacture, the company now looks positioned to leverage this broad capability for the global expansion of its product line.