Pfizer starts construction of new R&D facility in Missouri, US

US-based biopharmaceutical company Pfizer has begun construction of its latest and advanced research and development (R&D) and process development facility in the country.

Located in Chesterfield, Missouri, the new facility will be owned by the company.

Pfizer will bring together more than 450 employees currently working at several other locations and is expected to hire 80 additional workers over the coming years to support research at the Missouri site.

Construction is expected to be complete by mid-2019.

Pfizer BioTherapeutics Pharmaceutical Sciences senior vice-president John Ludwig said: "We’ve benefitted from the excellent life sciences workforce based in Missouri, and also from a strong partnership with the State, St. Louis County, and the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership.

"All of these were important factors as we sought a new home where we could continue to evolve our business over the coming years."

The facility will feature 295,000ft² of R&D space to accommodate the company’s BioTherapeutics Pharmaceutical Sciences group and enabling partners.

The R&D team will help add to Pfizer’s biologics, vaccines and gene therapy portfolio with the development of manufacturing processes and dosage forms by using upgraded analytical technologies, conducting non-good manufacturing practice (GMP) and scaling-up studies.

The facility will be used to develop potential new medicines to treat ailments in oncology, rare disease, internal medicine, inflammation and immunology, as well as vaccines, including biosimilars.

The upgraded features of the facility will include a floorplan, which provides flexible laboratory layouts, scientific casework and utility hook-ups, open office and collaboration spaces and increased conferencing technologies where researchers can work together.