ST. LOUIS – MilliporeSigma, the U.S. Life Science Business of Merck KgaA, is investing $76 million into their Bio-conjugation Center of Excellence facility in St. Louis.
This move will add 170 jobs and triple their existing manufacturing of antibody-drug conjugates, a less invasive form of cancer treatment compared to chemotherapy and radiation. ADC targets cancer cells and spares healthy cells.
“With this investment, we are not just enhancing our capabilities; we are investing in our clients’ success by accelerating innovation and development to ultimately deliver novel therapies to patients more quickly,” said Benjamin Hein, the head of Life Science Services, in a press release. “ADCs represent a transformative approach to oncology, enabling targeted therapies that minimize damage to healthy tissues.”
Millipore Sigma looks to meet the global demand for ADCs. To accomplish this feat, they’re upgrading 34,000 square feet of their facility to benefit multiple departments, including Process and Analytical Development, Quality Control, Research and Development, Manufacturing, and Logistics. The expansion will include new labs, a dedicated manufacturing buffer preparation facility, a cold storage, and a GMP-controlled room temperature warehouse closely located to the existing facility.
According to Cancer.org, cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide.
MilliporeSigma says ADCs are “one of the most promising drug modalities for cancer treatment,” in their press release about the expansion. Since 2017, there has been a significant increase in approvals for ADCs. Confidence in this modality has risen, leading to an annual increase of over 30% in the number of molecules in the global ADC pipeline.”
Bio-conjugates aren’t only being used for cancer treatment, but also autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders.