Genentech Builds Biologics Facility in California
Genentech, the US biotech arm of Swiss pharma giant Roche, is building a new small-batch biologics manufacturing facility at its Oceanside campus in California, USA. Groundbreaking took place on Feb. 10.
The facility is scheduled to go into operation in early 2025, creating approximately 150 additional full-time jobs. Genentech said it will be the first location in its global manufacturing network that is designed specifically for the fast, efficient and sustainable commercial production of biologics for smaller patient populations, including rare diseases and personalized medicines.
The company explained that it chose Oceanside for this latest $450 million investment because of the site’s proximity to its Clinical Supply Center in South San Francisco, as well as access to world-class biotech talent.
The facility will be modeled on the Clinical Supply Center and incorporate the same technologies. Genentech said that by standardizing the design of both its California plants, it will reduce the time needed to transfer production from the clinical site to its commercial facility to just a few days, rather than the usual six to 18 months.
Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist
