Lonza has signed a new long-term product supply agreement with compatriot Alexion Pharmaceuticals.

Under the terms of the contract, an expansion of an existing manufacturing agreement, the Swiss life sciences group will build, own and operate a new toll manufacturing suite for the drugmaker beginning in 2017 at its Portsmouth, New Hampshire site in the US.

The new agreement will supplement existing production of Alexion products at multiple Lonza facilities and will enable Alexion to add dedicated product supply for 10 years.

Lonza said the expansion will allow customers increased access to its proven biological manufacturing and regulatory expertise, experienced global workforce and high level of focused customer service. The company can look back on more than two decades of worldwide manufacturing experience with mammalian biotherapeutics.