- Merck is investing €70 million to expand ADC production capacity at its St. Louis, Missouri facility, tripling existing capacity.
Merck, the science and technology company, has announced a €70 million investment to expand its Bioconjugation Center of Excellence in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. This development will triple the site’s capacity, supporting bioconjugate drug production for clients worldwide.
The company’s increased capacity and expanded facilities, which include advanced Process and Analytical Development (PAD) labs, are designed to accelerate turnaround times for clients and enable faster delivery of novel treatments to the market. The expansion of the 3200-square-metre facility includes new laboratories, a buffer preparation facility, cold storage, and a GMP-controlled room temperature warehouse. “We are shaping tomorrow’s cancer care, today,” said Benjamin Hein, Head of Life Science Services at Merck. “With this investment, we are not just enhancing our capabilities; we are investing in our clients’ success by accelerating innovation and development to ultimately deliver novel therapies to patients more quickly.”
Merck’s latest commitment builds on its position as the first commercially approved ADC CDMO in North America. Recent projects have included the construction of a €59 million, 6500-square-metre facility in Verona, Wisconsin, specifically for highly potent active pharmaceutical ingredients (HPAPIs), commonly used in ADC cancer treatments. In September 2024, Merck also launched new technologies to improve ADC manufacturing, including the Mobius® ADC Reactor and ChetoSensar®, to address ADC solubility and synthesis challenges.
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