AstraZeneca Bulk Pharmaceutical Purification Plant, Guayama, Puerto Rico

In July 1997, AstraZeneca announced plans to invest £15 million in its Guayama facility in Puerto Rico. The money was invested in a new bulk pharmaceutical purification plant to supply the global market with zolmitriptan, the active ingredient in a new treatment for migraine called 'Zomig'. The go-ahead for the construction of the plant, which is managed by Zeneca's wholly owned subsidiary, IPR Pharmaceuticals Inc., confirmed the company's decision to increase its investment in the island.

Detailed design plans for the Guayama purification plant were completed by June 1997 and construction began in early 1998. Since then FDA accreditation has been obtained, and the plant now supplies to market. IPR, the established engineering contractors who have design, engineering, procurement, construction management and commissioning/validation experience in Puerto Rico have completed the project. The new facility went operational at the end of 2000.

GUAYAMA PLANT MEETS DEMAND FOR ZOMIG

The Guayama bulk purification plant is located in a new building adjacent to an existing purification facility. It is estimated that the plant has several times the capacity for peak demands of Zomig. Consequently, spare capacity will be available for other products, as required. Bulk zolmitriptan requirements for all markets will be sourced from this plant, tableting and packaging being undertaken at other sites.

After acquiring zolmitriptan in September 1996 (now sold under the trade name 'Zomig'), AstraZeneca launched tableting facilities for the drug at IPR's Carolina plant in Puerto Rico. But because demand for Zomig is growing (according to company research), it judged that greater manufacturing capabilities were needed to meet the pharmaceutical industry's requirements. As one of the drug's sole manufacturers, the new bulk purification plant at Guayama will, therefore, have a significant impact.

ASTRAZENECA LAUNCHES INVESTMENT PLAN

The Guayama project is part of AstraZeneca's large-scale investment project in Puerto Rico. In addition to the upgrade of the company's facilities at Guayama, it is upgrading its existing plant at Canóvanas and acquiring a new one there. When all the expansion projects are complete, a total investment in excess of £250 million will have been made.

PHARMACUETICAL MARKET IN PUERTO RICO BOOMS

The pharmaceutical industry in Puerto Rico is huge. According to the 1997 manufacturing census of the Department of Labour and Human Resources, some 22,000 people work at 79 different pharmaceutical plants. The joint decision by IPR and the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (PRIDCO) to set the upgrade project at Guayama in motion is testament to the confidence in this sector. PRIDCO hopes that the new plant will enhance the island's reputation as a world-class manufacturing centre that is home to the most important and prominent international pharmaceutical companies.

Other life-science companies also have announced that they will be investing in projects in Puerto Rico. Among them are Pharmacia & Upjohn ($100 million), Ocular Sciences/American Hydron ($25 million) and Thermometric ($700,000).

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