Abzena unveils location for its latest biologics GMP site

Three months removed from its original announcement, Abzena, a partner research organization (PRO) that specializes in the development and manufacture of complex biologics, has announced that its new GMP (good manufacturing practice) manufacturing facility will be in Sanford, NC. This marks Abzena’s sixth site, and manufacturing will begin mid-2022, the company says.

The new facility, which will be dedicated to cGMP (current good manufacturing practice) manufacturing capacity for mammalian biologics, is expected to cost over $200 million, and will produce approximately 325 jobs for Sanford.

The design of the facility has been enhanced for Phase III and commercial manufacturing of biologics. A phased approach to construction will initially allow four modular suites. Each suite will include up to two 2000L bioreactors. After the initial phase, two more 2000L suites will be added. Additionally, the site will be equipped to handle existing and new advances in manufacturing, such as continuous manufacturing and perfusion.