Amgen’s biomanufacturing plant is being developed in West Greenwich, Rhode Island. Credit: PR Newswire.
The next-generation biomanufacturing facility will be used for the manufacture of biologic therapeutic medicines. Credit: Adam Ciesielski.
The facility will strengthen Amgen’s manufacturing capabilities. Credit: Stan Zurek.

US-based biopharmaceutical company Amgen is developing a bio-manufacturing facility at its campus in West Greenwich, Rhode Island, US.

A ground-breaking ceremony for the new plant took place in July 2018. It will manufacture products for the US and international markets by incorporating the company’s next-generation bio-manufacturing capabilities and state-of-the-art technologies.

Amgen has invested $200m in the new plant, which is expected to be fully operational in 2022. Once complete, it will create more than 150 highly-skilled manufacturing jobs.

The project is expected to generate more than $3.7m in net revenue to the Rhode Island state over a 12-year commitment period.

Location of Amgen’s new bio-manufacturing facility

Amgen’s next-generation bio-manufacturing facility is being built on its 75-acre campus in West Greenwich, Rhode Island.

This area was selected due to the availability of a skilled workforce, potential state incentives and the success of Amgen’s existing West Greenwich manufacturing facility.

Amgen’s next-generation bio-manufacturing plant details

The new bio-manufacturing facility will cover an area of 120,000ft². It will manufacture various biologic therapeutic medicines.

“Amgen has invested $200m in the new plant, which is expected to be fully operational in 2022.”

It is claimed that the project’s novel technologies will allow it to be built in half the time and operating cost of a standard plant. It is designed to offer greater flexibility, speed and efficiency to manufacture multiple medicines simultaneously.

The smaller manufacturing footprint also offers environmental benefits such as reduced water consumption and energy, as well as lower levels of carbon emissions.

Financing for Amgen’s new facility in Rhode Island

Amgen has received $2.2m in tax credits from the Board of the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation through the Rebuild Rhode Island tax credit programme. A $600,000 a year tax credit will also be available through the Qualified Jobs Incentive Act for a ten-year period.

The company will also receive $1.25m for performance metrics and a tax exemption on construction materials and furnishings.

Details of Amgen’s existing Rhode Island plant

Amgen’s current facility in Rhode Island was licensed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2005. The facility features one of the world’s biggest manufacturing facilities for mammalian cell protein, and develops commercial and clinical bulk drug substances.

The company invested more than $1.5bn on the existing campus, which includes 500,000ft² of manufacturing, administrative and laboratory space.

The existing campus in Rhode Island has more than 625 employees.

Marketing commentary on Amgen

Based in the US, Amgen is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of innovative human therapeutics. The company specialises in the manufacture of drugs for key therapeutic areas such as cardiovascular, oncology, bone health, neuroscience and nephrology.

Amgen has a global presence in more than 100 countries and employs more than 20,000 staff across all its facilities worldwide.