Sanofi Invests €300 Million in Biologics Manufacturing Facility

The French drug maker Sanofi plans to invest €300 million (approximately $341.24 million) into expanding its biologics manufacturing facility located in Geel, Belgium, the company said in a April 19, 2016 press announcement.

Sanofi said it plans to expand its existing production capabilities to support its pipeline of monoclonal antibodies. The company will make several upgrades to the facility including new laboratories for quality control and manufacturing. The investment will add more than 8000 m² of manufacturing floor space to the facility.

Sanofi and its specialty care business, Sanofi Genzyme, have already invested €600 million (approximately $682.68 million) in the Geel site, which began industrial biotech activities in 2001. The site is currently responsible for the global production of a protein therapy for Pompe disease, a rare, genetic muscular disease that can be fatal. The protein therapy is produced using cell cultures in large bioreactors, followed by a purification process.