AstraZeneca To Build Biologics Plant

AstraZeneca plans to invest about $285 million in a biological medicines manufacturing facility in Södertälje, Sweden. The plant, which will focus on filling and packaging protein therapeutics, will initially supply medicines for clinical trial programs for AstraZeneca and MedImmune, the drug company’s biologics R&D arm. The project could create between 150 and 200 jobs, according to the company, which already operates a tablet and capsule manufacturing site in Södertälje. AstraZeneca’s announcement closely follows Alexion Pharmaceuticals’ decision to build a $505 million biologics plant near Dublin, Ireland.