Merck KGaA doubles gene therapy capacity with opening of second Carlsbad CDMO facility

The new the 140,000-sq. ft facility will support commercialisation and industrialisation of viral vectors

Although the 140,000-sq. ft plant has cost the company €100 million, it significantly expands Merck's CDMO footprint in a market that has been forecast to reach $10 billion by 2026.

This is the company’s second Carlsbad, California-based facility to support cell and gene therapy customers driven by the industry’s rapid adoption of viral vector-based therapies.

Between the two facilities, the company offers 30 cleanroom suites to support all aspects of manufacturing from small- to large-scale clinical and commercial production. The new facility enables suspension production of viral vectors up to 1,000 L to enable scalable and cost-effective manufacturing.

“We are continuing to invest in solving cell and gene therapy challenges in development and manufacturing, working alongside drug developers to industrialise, scale and accelerate the path to deliver therapies to patients,” said Matthias Heinzel, Member of the Executive Board of Merck and CEO Life Science.

Merck first announced the Carlsbad expansion in April 2020.