Baxter to expand biologics production capabilities

Baxter has announced plans to expand its biologics production capabilities through the creation of a new US manufacturing facility in Georgia.

Construction at the new Covington site will begin later this year, with more than $1 billion (621.44 million pounds) to be invested into the project over the next five years, thus creating in excess of 2,000 jobs.

It will support operations including plasma fractionation, purification, fill-finish and a testing lab, and commercial production is set to commence at the facility in 2018.

This project will allow Baxter to support global growth of its plasma-based treatments, including therapies for immune disorders, trauma and other critical conditions.

Robert Parkinson Jr, Baxter's chairman and chief executive officer, said: "This investment demonstrates our long-term commitment to patients around the world who rely on our plasma-based therapies."

This comes after the company agreed earlier this month to provide more information to the US Food and Drug Administration to support regulatory approval of its new biologic therapy HyQ.