Merck has invested more than €290 million in its biosafety testing capacity at Rockville, Maryland, in the US.
The company says the investment will significantly increase the company’s ability to conduct biosafety testing and analytical development services, critical to the drug development and commercialisation process.
“These significant investments in Rockville and other sites across our global network will help us meet growing demand for the robust testing studies that biologics manufacturers depend upon to comply with stringent regulatory guidelines,” said Belén Garijo, Chair of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck.
The new 23,000-square-metre facility at Merck’s Rockville site will house biosafety testing, analytical development, viral clearance suites, and cell bank manufacturing services. It is planned that, over the next four years, the expansion will create more than 500 new jobs.
Contract testing and the newly formed Millipore CTDMO Services will be part of the Life Science Services business unit.