Lonza recently marked the groundbreaking of its first large-scale commercial drug product manufacturing facility, based in Stein, Switzerland. The facility is being delivered through an investment of approximately $545 million, as part of Lonza’s long-term growth strategy to build capacity in areas of high customer demand.

Building on Lonza’s experience in drug product development, formulation and clinical manufacturing, the new facility will enable the company to provide an end-to-end offering across the entire drug product lifecycle, including commercial supply. The facility is expected to begin operations in 2026, and it is due to generate approximately 400 jobs in Stein in the next four years in the areas of engineering, production, processes, MSAT, quality assurance and quality control.

An event was held on January 31, 2023 to commemorate the groundbreaking. The event, attended by a number of representatives from the Canton Aargau and local authorities, featured a time capsule ceremony to mark the beginning of the facility’s construction.

“The groundbreaking ceremony of our large-scale drug product manufacturing facility is an important milestone for our global business,” said Peter Droc, head of drug product services, Lonza. “Once complete, the new facility will enable Lonza to offer customers an end-to-end drug substance and drug product offering across clinical and commercial supply needs.”

The new facility is being constructed on the same campus as Lonza’s existing clinical drug product facility, a center of excellence for the manufacturing of sterile dosage forms.

Droc said, “Stein is the ideal location for this facility due to its proximity to our existing DPS sites and to Basel’s life sciences cluster, which enables us to access existing infrastructure, capabilities and talent. With the creation of approximately 400 new full-time positions at the site between now and 2026, attracting world-leading talent is a priority for us in the year ahead.”