B Braun Medical expanding Penang pharmaceuticals plant

B Braun Medical is investing $75.5 million (47.27 million pounds) on a project that will expand its Penang pharmaceuticals plant.

The Germany-based group will use its Malaysian subsidiary B Braun Medical Industries to respond to the increasing national and regional demand for sterile infusion solutions in bags and plastic containers.

B Braun's Penang site employs more than 5,000 people and is already one of the global group's largest industrial sites outside of its European base. The further expansion of the pharmaceuticals unit will add to its workforce, creating jobs for engineers and technicians.

Before the latest investment, the company had spent $529 million on the site. It features six different manufacturing units which as well as the sterile infusion solutions also produce medical devices such as injection needles, sutures, catheters, IV solution administration sets, and surgical blades and instruments.

The company celebrates its 175th anniversary in June this year.