Both developments took place in Dessau, Germany, where Merz has held a manufacturing footprint since 2002.
Merz’s subsidiary, Oncotec is based in the same location and announced that it had completed the installation of a ‘robot-controlled’ filling line, which includes technology for the automated visual inspection of syringes and represents a total investment of €35m ($38m).
Oncotec, as a contract manufacturing organization (CMO), produces sterile cytostatics at the site that are used to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases.
The CMO employs 306 people at the location and the company’s managing director, Maron Michel, said that the investment would allow the company to meet ‘future, global demand and developments’ in drug manufacturing.
Merz fills out neurotoxin production
In addition to its investment in Oncotec’s capabilities, Merz announced the completion of a €15m investment for a new plant.
The production plant, which covers 12,000-square-meters, will be responsible for producing Belotero (botulinum neurotoxin).
Belotero is part of Merz’s medical aesthetics portfolio and is used as a dermal filler.
Philip Burchard, CEO of Merz, said, “The new production plant is of strategic importance to our business, as it enables us to meet the increasing demand for our dermal fillers. We are proud that our location in Dessau plays such a crucial role in securing the international supply of our medical aesthetics products.”
As well as being used for medical aesthetic purposes, the treatment is also used to address neurologically-induced movement disorders.