Intervet/Schering-Plough expands central manufacturing site

Intervet/Schering-Plough has expanded its worldwide production capacity via the expansion of its global lead manufacturing site in Boxmeer, the Netherlands.

The animal health company has opened a specialised filling and freeze-drying unit for veterinary vaccines at the Biosciences Center Boxmeer for the total cost of $18 million (11.2 million pounds).

Work on the construction of the improved site commenced in September 2008, with the new facilities offering a maximum filling speed of 24,000 glass vials per hour, while the freeze-dryer can now process 136,000 vials per batch.

This will augment the company's ability to deliver vaccines for livestock and domestic animals to the global market, while the improvements are also compliant with stringent safety regulations.

Malte Greune, senior vice-president for animal health manufacturing at Intervet/Schering-Plough, said: "With this significant investment into the new unit here in Boxmeer, we ensure the high standards and efficient manufacturing process at this important facility in our manufacturing network."

In August 2010, it was confirmed that Intervet/Schering-Plough and Merial are to be merged into a single organisation called Merial-Intervet during the first quarter of 2011.