In February 2018, Swiss biopharmaceutical company Ferring Pharmaceuticals announced plans to build a biotechnology centre at its headquarters in Saint-Prex, Switzerland.
The company plans to invest more than CHF30m ($32.06m) in the centre over the next three years. The facility will enable the company to expand its biologics capabilities.
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The first lab of the biotech centre is expected to be operational in 2019, while production of the first batch of biologics is expected to begin in 2020.
Details of Ferring Pharmaceuticals’ biotechnology centre
Currently in the engineering design phase, Ferring’s biotech centre will be built on more than 2,000m² of existing infrastructure.
The facility will be used to develop biologic therapies in the areas of reproductive medicine, women’s health, gastroenterology and urology. It will discover and develop monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and manufacture biologics.
The centre will also produce the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for Ferring’s fertility medicine, Rekovelle® (follitropin delta).
Saint-Prex manufacturing site details
Ferring’s existing Saint-Prex manufacturing site covers a 23,000m² area and comprises production, packaging and administration facilities.
Opened in 2006, the plant manufactures two products for the gastroenterology and urology markets. The gastroenterology product is used to treat inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, while the urology product is used to treat bedwetting in children and nocturia in adults.
The Saint-Prex manufacturing plant also serves as the main site for the company’s packaging activities. The plant packs more than 60% of Ferring’s products and produces reference samples for more than a thousand finished products and two million boxes a month.
Details of the products manufactured at the biotech centre
Used for fertility treatment, Rekovelle® is the first recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) derived from a human cell line. The product is administered based on a woman’s serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) level and body weight.
Ferring’s Israel-based subsidiary, Bio-Technology General (BTG), is currently producing the API for Rekovelle®. The API will continue to be manufactured at BTG after the opening of the new biotech centre in order to ensure continuity of supply for patients worldwide.
Marketing commentary on Ferring Pharmaceuticals
Founded in 1950, Ferring Pharmaceuticals is a privately-owned research-based speciality biopharmaceutical company. The company is based in Saint-Prex, Switzerland.
The company has manufacturing sites in 11 countries, including Argentina, China, Czech Republic, Denmark and Germany. It also has ten research and development (R&D) centres in China, Denmark, India, Israel, Japan, the UK, Switzerland and the US.
Ferring manufactures products in the areas of reproductive medicine, urology and gastroenterology, specialising in peptide development and endocrine research. More than a third of the company’s investment in R&D is directed towards developing novel drugs for mothers and babies.
The company employs more than 6,500 people worldwide and sells its products and treatments in 110 countries. The company recorded revenues of €1.9bn ($2.27bn) in 2017.
