A global pharmaceutical firm has acquired a new premises as part of a significant expansion of its operations in a Scottish city.
Contract Manufacturing Organisation (CMO) and biopharmaceutical development services provider Symbiosis Pharmaceutical Services Ltd has announced the purchase of a 20,000 sq/ft building in Stirling.
The additional space will double the total footprint of the company across the four facilities that it will operate from, increasing manufacturing capacity by 50 per cent in the short-term.
As part of a wider strategic growth initiative, this move will strengthen the current GMP manufacturing service offering and further accelerate the delivery of sterile injectable drug products to clients and ultimately their patients.
Located in Castle Business Park, the renamed Bruce Building is located close to Symbiosis’ existing manufacturing cleanrooms, testing laboratories and GMP Warehouse facilities and will bring the company’s total footprint to 43,500 sq ft (4,000m2).
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The new manufacturing facility also includes plans for two new cleanroom-based production lines to strengthen the company's ability to support its biotechnology and pharmaceutical clients worldwide and the new medicines and therapies being developed. Additionally, this will provide further operational flexibility to accommodate a range of bespoke client pharmaceutical manufacturing processes. The increased batch output from the additional production lines will increase Symbiosis’s clinical trial and commercial supply capacity.
The new manufacturing capacity in the Bruce Building facility will safeguard over 130 skilled life sciences jobs at Symbiosis and generate an additional 50 new jobs.
The facility fit-out project will be implemented over a three-year period with financial support provided by Barclays Bank PLC for the purchase of the building.
Colin MacKay, Symbiosis CEO, commented: “By investing £1.75m ($2.25m) in the purchase of a 20,000sq/ft building and subsequently equipping it to provide additional world-class sterile manufacturing capacity for our existing and future clients globally represents the next major strategic chapter in the successful and consistently fast-growing trajectory of Symbiosis.
“This step-change in operational capacity, while retaining the organisational and cultural strengths of a fantastic team here at Symbiosis, positions the company for sustained growth and to bring continued added value to both clients and shareholders alike.
“It also represents the latest strategic initiative for Symbiosis following on from the addition of laboratories and the launch of in-house Quality Control (QC) microbiological and analytical testing services last year. The expanded manufacturing capacity will support the strategic ambition of the company to further develop its market presence in its key target markets of North America and the E.U.”
“We look forward to the future launch of the new facility and to the exciting times ahead for Symbiosis."
Cllr Chris Kane, Retiring Stirling Council Leader, said: “This is absolutely fantastic news for Stirling, the wider region and Scotland.
“Symbiosis’ significant investment at their site will safeguard and create skilled jobs in Stirling’s thriving life sciences and manufacturing sector. It’s an endorsement of Stirling’s world-class talent, research skills and innovation, and our location at the heart of one of Europe’s largest and most well-connected biotech clusters.
“The announcement reaffirms Stirling’s reputation as a place for attracting and retaining businesses, and we look forward to working with high-growth, internationally-acclaimed businesses like Symbiosis to continue developing this key sector.”
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