Genzyme, a Sanofi company, is investing $80 million to build a new downstream processing facility for Fabrazyme (agalsidase beta), significantly expanding purification capacity to support anticipated growth in demand. The new plant will be adjacent to the new Fabrazyme cell culture manufacturing site in Framingham, MA.
 
Downstream processing involves the purification of material harvested from the cell culture manufacturing process. The final product is an intravenous (IV) infusion, which is formulated and fill-finished in a separate facility in Waterford, Ireland and shipped to multiple distribution centers for labeling, packaging and shipping.
 
“As we continue to meet the global demands for Fabrazyme and build inventory, our focus also remains on the future needs of the global Fabry community,” said Genzyme president and chief executive officer, David Meeker, M.D. “Following last year’s regulatory approvals of our manufacturing facility in Framingham and a new vial filling line at our plant in Waterford, Ireland, we continue to execute on our global manufacturing strategy, enhancing our capabilities across the entire manufacturing process for Fabrazyme.”