MedImmune Celebrates Opening of New Pilot Lab at Gaithersburg Headquarters
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New Facility Allows MedImmune to Meet Increasing Demands for Clinical Trial Materials from Company's Expanding and Advancing Pipeline
GAITHERSBURG, Md., Aug. 23 -- MedImmune today unveiled a new, state-of-the-art pilot lab facility located on the same Gaithersburg site as its headquarters. With its cutting-edge equipment and process automation systems, the facility will support MedImmune's expanding clinical product pipeline by providing additional capacity and flexibility.
At a ribbon-cutting event for the pilot lab held today at MedImmune, David M. Mott, president and chief executive officer, stated: "Completing this new facility is an important milestone, signaling our continued growth and success as a world-class biopharmaceuticals company. The opening of this facility, alongside the expansion work underway on our new biologics facility in Frederick, Maryland, reaffirms our leadership role within the state's biotechnology industry and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the region."
The new pilot lab's 5,000 liters of bioreactor capacity will result in a four-fold increase in production capabilities. With the expanded facility, MedImmune will be able to produce clinical trial materials at a greater scale and in greater quantities, aiding in the testing of potential new products.
"This substantial increase in MedImmune's clinical production infrastructure supports our robust pipeline of product candidates," said Gail Folena-Wasserman, Ph.D., senior vice president, development. "The pilot lab facility is intended to meet our current and future needs, not just through its increased capacity but also through design flexibility, which efficiently allows us to produce multiple clinical products in the same space. We can drive efficiency and meet rigorous quality standards by incorporating the latest technology, including an advanced process control system."
In December 2006, the City of Gaithersburg approved the new pilot lab facility for occupancy. The facility will become the primary site for production of MedImmune's therapeutic proteins, replacing the existing Gaithersburg Manufacturing Development Facility (GMDF) where those clinical trial materials are currently produced. Material production is expected to begin in 2008, following the final stages of equipment validation. MedImmune plans to upgrade GMDF in the near future to provide added support for its development needs.
About MedImmune
MedImmune strives to provide better medicines to patients, new medical options for physicians and rewarding careers to employees. Dedicated to advancing science and medicine to help people live better lives, the company is focused on the areas of infectious diseases, cancer and inflammatory diseases. With approximately 3,000 employees worldwide and headquarters in Maryland, MedImmune is wholly owned by AstraZeneca plc (NYSE:AZN). For more information, visit MedImmune's website at www.medimmune.com/.
Source: MedImmune
CONTACT: Kate Barrett of MedImmune, +1-301-398-4320
Web site: http://www.medimmune.com/
