On Sept. 11, 2015, AstraZeneca announced it had purchased the former Synergen LakeCentre biologics bulk manufacturing facility in Boulder, Colorado from Amgen for $14.6 million.

AstraZeneca planned to start staffing the facility immediately to support refurbishment and infrastructure improvements. Once complete, the site was expected to be operational and licensed for commercial production by late 2017, providing for additional capacity within the company’s biologics operations.

In the longer- term, this site could create up to 400 highly skilled jobs, subject to relevant approvals by the local authorities. The facility will eventually double the biologics manufacturing capacity in the US to meet the needs of the maturing AstraZeneca pipeline.

Currently biologics make up 50 percent of the company’s pipeline with more than 120 ongoing programmes, including over 30 in clinical development.

The new facility in Boulder added to the expansion of AstraZeneca’s biologics manufacturing capabilities, following the planned biologics manufacturing investment in Sweden, announced in May, and the expansion in Frederick, Maryland, announced in November 2014.