Health & Biotech

Complete Genomics, a pioneering genomic sequencing company, recently welcomed vendors, suppliers, customers and employees to a May 17 grand opening celebration of its 10,115 square foot manufacturing facility at its headquarters in San Jose, California. The facility represents the company's inaugural U.S. supply chain, translating into faster delivery times for the company's customers who are researchers using next generation sequencing products to develop in-demand diagnostics and therapies for conditions including cancer, Alzheimer's, obesity, and others.

"Complete Genomics will integrate supply chain resources from California, the United States, and globally to provide more efficient and reliable local supply assurance for American customers," said David Liu, VP of Operation & Manufacturing at Complete Genomics.

The new facility houses Complete Genomics' research and development, engineering and ISO (International Organization for Standardization) manufacturing operations. The new facility will enable faster delivery of instruments to U.S. customers with the first DNBSEQ-G99* expected to be produced there in the second quarter of this year. Complete Genomics expects to finish and deliver dozens of DNBSEQ sequencers in 2024. A 2,766-square-foot reagent manufacturing facility is expected to begin operating in 2025.

"As we all learned during the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the global supply chain can be disrupted. This local supply chain and manufacturing site will shorten the lead time and provide better support and customer experience," said Dr. Radoje (Rade) Drmanac, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Complete Genomics.

The grand opening event also featured the DNBSEQ-G800* and DNBSEQ-E25* sequencers. Complete Genomics was established in 2005 in a 10,500 square foot facility in Sunnyvale, California. In 2008, the company added a 66,000 square foot Mountain View site. In May 2017, Complete Genomics moved to its current 78,979 square foot location in San Jose, which also includes a warehousing facility.

Since the U.S. commercial launch of its DNBSEQ ™ sequencing product line in August 2022, Complete Genomics was recognized by the 2023 R&D 100 Awards in the analytical testing category for its ultra-high throughput sequencer aimed at making whole genome sequencing (WGS) affordable for every lab. In 2023, the DNBSEQ T20X2RS* was named "Next Generation Sequencing Solution of the Year" by the 2023 BioTech Breakthrough Awards.

Eli Lilly and Company announced that it has more than doubled its investment in its Lebanon, Indiana, manufacturing site with a new $5.3 billion commitment, increasing the company's total investment in this site from $3.7 billion to $9 billion. This expansion will enhance Lilly's capacity to manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) for Zepbound^® (tirzepatide) injection and Mounjaro^® (tirzepatide) injection so that more adults with chronic diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes may benefit from these important treatments.

Since 2020, Lilly has committed more than $16 billion to develop new manufacturing sites in the U.S. and Europe. New locations outside Indiana include Research Triangle Park and Concord, North Carolina; Limerick, Ireland; and Alzey, Germany. Separately, the company has invested an additional $1.2 billion to update existing manufacturing facilities in Indianapolis and recently acquired an injectable manufacturing facility in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, from Nexus Pharmaceuticals. Together, these manufacturing investments total more than $18 billion.

"Today's announcement tops the largest manufacturing investment in our company's history and, we believe, represents the single largest investment in synthetic medicine API manufacturing in U.S. history," said David A. Ricks, Lilly's chair and CEO. "This multi-site campus will make our latest medicines, including Zepbound and Mounjaro, support pipeline growth and leverage the latest technology and automation for maximum efficiency, safety and quality control. Importantly, we are investing in our home state of Indiana, creating high-wage, advanced manufacturing, engineering and science jobs for hundreds of current and future Hoosier families."

Lilly embarked on a significant manufacturing expansion in 2020, driven by the research results for tirzepatide. The company made this strategic investment decision at risk so that upon the approval of Mounjaro (2022) and Zepbound (2023), it could make these medicines available to adults living with type 2 diabetes and obesity, respectively. Since then, the strong demand for these medicines – the only approved treatments activating two incretin hormone receptors, GIP and GLP-1 – underscores the urgent unmet need for treatments in both type 2 diabetes and obesity.

As part of this additional investment in the Lebanon site, located within Indiana's LEAP Research and Innovation District, Lilly expects to add 200 full-time jobs for highly skilled workers such as engineers, scientists, operating personnel and lab technicians, resulting in an estimated 900 full-time employees when the facility is fully operational. Additionally, there will be more than 5,000 construction jobs during the site's development.

"Lilly continues to play a transformational role in shaping Indiana's opportunity economy, and I couldn't be more proud about their pole position leadership in developing the LEAP Research and Innovation District in Lebanon, Indiana. Lilly has long been driving global innovation and economic growth that will be felt for decades here at home," said Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb. "As an international company, headquartered in Indiana, Lilly had a world of options to consider before making this investment, and choosing Indiana once again reinforces the incredible environment we've cultivated and the talented workforce we have to carry Lilly's success forward. I can't wait to see the incredible benefits this investment leads to for patients around the world, knowing they were made in Indiana." 

To support Lilly's expansion project, the state will partner on infrastructure solutions – road improvements, water, electric and other utilities – as well as workforce development commitments and certain economic incentives tied to the company's achievement of investment and employment goals. The state's workforce development support includes the contribution of land, pending approval, for the construction of a learning and training center that will be part of the larger LEAP industrial development, along with a commitment to work with Lilly to raise capital for its completion. The new training center aligns with Lilly's previously announced financial support for scholarship and training programs with Purdue University and Ivy Tech Community College, and the BioCrossroads-led training center at 16 Tech – part of Indiana's recent Tech Hub designation.

"Lilly's commitment to meeting the demand for our life-changing medicines goes beyond buildings and extends to improving education opportunities and upskilling a global workforce of the future," said Edgardo Hernandez, executive vice president and president, Lilly Manufacturing Operations. "Academia is a critical partner to both industry and government as we work together to advance innovation in our state and communities around the globe."

Since breaking ground at its Lebanon manufacturing site in 2023, Lilly has transformed a significant portion of the nearly 600 acres within the complex into an active construction site. The company expects to begin making medicines in Lebanon toward the end of 2026 – with operations scaling up through 2028. 

AstraZeneca intends to build a $1.5 billion manufacturing facility in Singapore for antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), enhancing global supply of its ADC portfolio. ADCs are next-generation treatments that deliver highly potent cancer-killing agents directly to cancer cells through a targeted antibody.

The planned greenfield facility, supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), will be AstraZeneca’s first end-to-end ADC production site, fully incorporating all steps of the manufacturing process at a commercial scale. Manufacturing of ADCs is a multi-step process that comprises antibody production, synthesis of chemotherapy drug and linker, conjugation of drug-linker to the antibody, and filling of the completed ADC substance.

Png Cheong Boon, Chairman, EDB said: "We welcome AstraZeneca's decision to establish a manufacturing presence in Singapore for the first time. It will also be a first for AstraZeneca – an end-to-end manufacturing facility for novel antibody drug conjugates that enables precision therapy for cancer. This greenfield investment is a strong show of confidence in Singapore's biopharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities and talent, strengthens our ecosystem in supporting the development and manufacturing of precision medicines, and creates meaningful jobs and economic opportunities for Singapore. We look forward to a successful partnership with AstraZeneca."

Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer, AstraZeneca, said: “AstraZeneca has built an industry-leading portfolio of cancer medicines including antibody drug conjugates which have shown enormous potential to replace traditional chemotherapy for patients across many settings. Singapore is one of the world’s most attractive countries for investment given its reputation for excellence in complex manufacturing, and I am excited for AstraZeneca to locate our $1.5 billion ADC manufacturing facility in the country.”

AstraZeneca has a broad portfolio of in-house ADCs including six wholly owned ADCs in the clinic and many more in preclinical development. 

As part of AstraZeneca's commitment to driving sustainability in healthcare, the Company will work with Singapore's government and other partners on green solutions for the ADC facility. This facility will be designed to emit zero carbon from its first day of operations.

AstraZeneca aims to begin design and construction of the manufacturing facility by the end of 2024, with targeted operational readiness from 2029.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas is expanding with the addition of a new location in Southwest Houston. BCBSTX has leased a 132,000-square-foot space located at 8101 W. Sam Houston Parkway South, which is located between the Westwood and Sharpstown neighborhoods. BCBSTX will be creating opportunities to offer jobs in the local community. Buildout is expected to be completed as early as January 2025.

The new 11.5 year lease is part of an ongoing effort to benefit from the skilled workforce in local communities, while driving economic growth.

"Partnering with communities and providing jobs where they are needed strengthens the connection between access and health," said BCBSTX President Jim Springfield. "We'll continue to make intentional investments in local communities that spur economic growth and cycle dollars back into the communities where our employees and members live and work."

The company has contracted with a Houston-based company to renovate the space, which will include an onsite café, large employee training center and multi-purpose room.