Aldevron, a maker of plasmid DNA proteins, mRNA and antibodies, unveiled plans to expand its headquarters into a 14-acre campus in Fargo, North Dakota, with the first phase of the project expected to start in August.
When completed, the annual capacity of the facility will surpass $1 billion in biologics production, the company said. Aldevron, which is privately held, didn’t disclose costs associated with the expansion.
A new 189,000-square-foot, two-story building will increase Aldevron’s GMP and GMP-Source plasmid production capacity by as much as 10 times current output. It is expected to be fully operational by early 2021.
Overall, three new buildings will be constructed in the next three to five years. The new campus will also allow for large-scale production of novel products like nanoplasmids and minicircles.
“This plan is designed to serve the biopharmaceutical industry with the world’s most advanced manufacturing platforms for gene and cell therapy,” Michael Chambers, Aldevron’s chief executive, said in a statement. “It is an honor for us to provide plasmids, gene editing enzymes, and other biologics to support clinical and commercial applications that our clients are pioneering.”
The expansion plans include adding more quality control and product storage space, a two-story administration building and an R&D, technical operations and training center.
The company said that once it's completed, the campus could support 1,000 employees.