The new site, it said, will strengthen security of supply.
The company is planning to transform the site into a 168,000 sq ft (15607.7 sq. m) biomanufacturing center consisting of multiple buildings.
It is the first time Cytiva will expand beyond Sweden to manufacture chromatography resins, media that is used for purifying and analyzing biomolecules for the manufacture of vaccines and advanced therapeutics.
The Michigan site will be home to approximately 200 employees when completed.
The new site is part of Cytiva and Pall Corporation’s previously announced US$1.5bn capacity expansion investment and it is also getting support from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF), and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).
In terms of why Cytiva choose Muskegon for its new chromatography resins manufacturing site, Olivier Loeillot, VP, bioprocessing, Cytiva, told us: “After evaluating several locations in the US, our team decided this site best suited our immediate and long-term business needs. The site is in good condition and has an existing infrastructure that will help us accelerate our timeline. It is also home to a thriving local community and workforce.”
'In region, for region' manufacturing
Along with expanding the company’s capacity to produce resins, Cytiva said the new unit will bring it closer to its North American customers. “As the industry moves toward 'in region, for region' manufacturing, being close to our customers and providing them with the flexibility needed to deliver next generation therapeutics is our top priority.”
There are multiple factors responsible for the increased demand for chromatography resins and media, he continued, but the growth is primarily driven by industry that is continuing to invest in R&D initiatives, whether for biologics or newer modalities such cell and gene therapies: “This new facility and our site in Uppsala, Sweden will help ensure we meet that global demand.”
With a planned construction start date of Q3 2022, manufacturing at the US plant is expected to begin in 2026, and Cytiva anticipates that it will begin hiring sometime next year for this site:
“Our goal is to hire associates who will be part of the technology transfer process and then work on the manufacturing process.
“The new site will be a fully operational biomanufacturing site and, to do that, we will need to hire across all functions. We will eventually be looking to fill engineering, automation, production, HR, finance, maintenance, quality, and regulatory roles,” said Loeillot.
