Boehringer Ingelheim break ground on $217 million Fremont facility

The facility produces biologics and biosimilars, with a focus on oncology, rheumatology and immunology. Should the expansion be carried out as planned, the production capability of the plant will be boosted by a third.

The facility currently covers 300,000 square feet and includes development labs, a pilot plant and large-scale bioreactors. The company had acquired the facility from Amgen, back in 2011, as part of a concerted effort to improve its contract biologics production.

"The Bay Area is the largest biotech cluster in the world. We are happy to have made Fremont our home and are grateful for the support we have received from the community and the State of California," said Jens Vogel, President and CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim Fremont, Inc. "We have made a commitment to the region and are excited to continue to invest in the Bay Area and expand our workforce to help increase patient access to high-quality medicines."

For its part of the commitment, the state provided the company with $25.5 million in two separate tax credits from the state – the largest award given to a pharmaceutical company. The facility is one of a global network of such manufacturing plants, that includes further locations in Germany, Austria and China.