Rahway-based Merck broke ground April 28 on its new 470,000-square-foot state-of-the-art biologics center of excellence in Wilmington, Delaware.
The U.S. drugmaker Merck said it is investing $1 billion in the new facility to expand domestic production. The site will also have the capability to manufacture KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) and establish it as the future U.S. home for producing KEYTRUDA for U.S. patients.
Merck said its Wilmington Biotech site will comprise laboratory, manufacturing and warehouse capabilities to enable the launch and commercial production of next-generation biologics and therapies including potent antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), reinforcing Merck’s focus on expanding and diversifying its pipeline.
“The Merck Wilmington Biotech site represents our continued commitment to growing our investments in U.S. manufacturing and has the potential to create thousands of high-paying American jobs while ensuring that we can produce and distribute products close to patients right here in the U.S.,” Robert Davis, chairman and chief executive officer, Merck, said.
The company expects labs at the new facility to be fully operational by 2028 and produce experimental drugs by 2030.
The new plant, located at Chestnut Run Innovation & Science Park (CRISP), will create at least 500 full-time jobs and about 4,000 construction roles, the company said. Potential further expansion of the site would create an additional 1,500 full-time roles and 26,000 construction jobs.
“This new site in Delaware is on the cutting edge of innovation, helping lead the way as we transform medicine and technology,” Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer, said. “Merck is pioneering the next generation of care right here in Wilmington, and they couldn’t have picked a better place to do it. The positive impact this will have on Wilmington and the state of Delaware is exciting, and this is the just the beginning.”
In March, Merck announced the completion of construction on a $1 billion, 225,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility to expand vaccine production capacity in Durham, North Carolina, generating nearly 400 full-time roles and roughly 4,000 construction jobs.
The company plans to invest $3.5 billion in biologics and small molecule manufacturing sites and capabilities in the U.S., creating an anticipated 650 additional full-time roles.
