Wacker Chemie has opened a new production facility for pharmaceutical proteins - also known as biologics - in Jena, Germany. The new plant is part of the Munich-based chemical company's investment program to enlarge its biotech operations. The company said the expansion enables it to accommodate its customers' rapidly growing demand for biotechnologically manufactured pharmaceuticals. Biologics are used to treat, among other things, cancer, multiple sclerosis and hepatitis. The expansion, together with the new building for process development and quality control already completed last year, brings the company's total investment in the Jena facility to some €18 million.

Wacker said it has substantially boosted capacity at its Jena site in order to cope with a growing need for high-efficiency biologics production processes, and to meet rising customer demand. The existing GMP-certified (good manufacturing practice) facility now has twice as much production area. A completely new facility for product-purification enables up to three times higher product yields per batch. The new unit meets the GMP requirements of both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration FDA and the European Medicines Agency EMEA. Wacker Biotech can now provide those customers who have biopharmaceuticals at an advanced development stage with sufficient commercial capacity to supply the market.