Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc (NASDAQ:JAZZ) and its subsidiary, GW Pharmaceuticals have begun construction of its new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Kent Science Park (KSP) in Sittingbourne, UK, with an investment of over $100 million.
The new facility, expected to be approximately 60,000 sq. ft, is designed to support the company's two regulatory-approved cannabis-based medicines, such as Epidiolex, and to support future capacity for new medicines under development.
The new facility will include the installation of animal refuge boxes to promote wildlife in the local area and over 1,100 solar panels to provide a portion of the building’s energy usage.
Jazz currently manufactures the extract, active pharmaceutical ingredients and formulated drug products at its KSP facility, occupying 12 buildings with more than 400 employees, making it and the UK, the heart of the company's global cannabinoid manufacturing operations.
Going Green
In addition to the animal refuge boxes to promote wildlife in the local area, the use of single-use plastics will be minimized and more than 1,100 solar panels will be installed to provide a portion of the building's energy usage.
"The UK has been our home for over two decades. This strategic investment underlines Jazz's continued commitment to the UK and will help us bring potentially life-changing medicines to more patients who desperately need them in the UK and around the world," said Chris Tovey, executive VP, COO and managing director of Europe & International at Jazz Pharmaceuticals.
"We are thrilled to have commenced construction of this state-of-the-art facility in Kent, which will create more than 100 permanent, highly skilled jobs. This facility, which is expected to open in 2024, will not only significantly increase our ability to support the growing demand for our medicines, but help us maintain our position as a world leader in cannabinoid science," Tovey concluded.
