CSL Ltd. has opened the CSL Behring Biotechnology Manufacturing Facility in Melbourne, Australia. The new facility, located adjacent to the site's manufacturing plant for plasma products, is part of a $250 million expansion at its Broadmeadows site, which will play a larger role in the company's global operations for late-stage development of new types of hemophilia products. It will produce novel recombinant therapies on a large scale for international clinical trials.
 
The first therapy to be manufactured in the new facility is a novel blood clotting factor (rVIIa-FP) for the treatment of hemophilia. This is one of CSL's several longer-acting clotting factors in development that aims to reduce the number of injections required to maintain normal blood clotting in bleeding disorders. Clinical trials of rVIIa-FP in patients are expected to begin later this year in the U.S., Europe and Australia.
 
"This world-class facility is key to the ongoing success of our global R&D strategy and reflects our commitment to providing better treatment options for people who are managing certain bleeding disorders and other life-threatening conditions," said CSL chief executive officer, Paul Perreault.