Amgen expects to invest $1 billion during the next four years to expand its manufacturing capacity in Puerto Rico to meet rising global demand for the company’s products. The investment will include expansion of existing facilities in the company’s manufacturing complex in Juncos, PR, and the construction of a new formulation, fill and finish facility. Amgen expects to add approximately 500 staff members in PR by 2010.

In PR, the company expects to expand its Neupogen and Neulasta bulk protein manufacturing facility as well as the newly built Epogen and Aranesp bulk plant. In addition, Amgen plans to construct a new formulation, fill and finish facility along with upgrades to its existing formulation, fill and finish operations.

Amgen previously announced plans to invest approximately $1 billion in new bulk protein manufacturing and formulation, fill and finish facilities in Cork, Ireland, to give the company capacity closer to the patients it serves in Europe. Amgen also plans to expand its existing R&D operations in Cambridge, MA, South San Francisco, Seattle, and Cambridge, U.K., and build a new development center in Uxbridge, U.K.