The new manufacturing facility at Kent Science Park is designed to support the manufacture of regulatory approved cannabis-based medicines
Jazz Pharmaceuticals starts building new manufacturing facility in UK. (Credit: Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay)
Jazz Pharmaceuticals, together with its subsidiary GW Pharmaceuticals, has commenced construction on its new manufacturing facility at Kent Science Park (KSP), Sittingbourne, UK.
GW Pharmaceuticals is engaged in discovering, developing, and commercialising regulatory-approved cannabis-based medicines.
The new manufacturing facility, which will cover around 60,000ft2 of area, is expected to entail an investment of more than $100m.
It is designed to support the company’s two regulatory-approved cannabis-based medicines and support future capacity for new medicines under development.
Planned to become operational in 2024, the facility is anticipated to create more than 100 highly skilled new jobs.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals Europe & International executive vice president, chief operating officer and managing director Chris Tovey said: “This strategic investment underlines Jazz’s continued commitment to the UK and will help us bring potentially life-changing medicines to more patients who desperately need them in the UK and around the world.
“We are thrilled to have commenced construction of this state-of-the-art facility in Kent, which will create more than 100 permanent, highly skilled jobs.
“This facility, which is expected to open in 2024, will not only significantly increase our ability to support the growing demand for our medicines, but help us maintain our position as a world leader in cannabinoid science.”
At the KSP site, Jazz is currently manufacturing the extract, active pharmaceutical ingredients and formulated drug products, in 12 buildings with more than 400 employees.
GW has made a significant investment in the KSP site over the past two decades and created major in-house processing and manufacturing expertise to address the growing demand.
Jazz said that it has designed the new facility with careful consideration for the environment, and will continue it through the build phase and use.
The company committed to installing animal refuge boxes to promote wildlife in the local area, and to minimise the use of single-use plastics.
In addition, it will install more than 1,100 solar panels to mitigate a part of the building’s energy usage.
Jazz claimed that it has a talented and highly-skilled, in-house team of professionals with expertise in botanical growing, pre-clinical and clinical R&D, product development, manufacturing and testing.