CivicaRx, nonprofit generic drug company formed by several major health systems, plans to build a $124.5 milion, 120,000 square-foot drug manufacturing facility in Petersburg, Va.
The facility will produce medications in vials and syringes for hospitals and the Strategic National Stockpile, and may create more than 180 jobs, the company said Jan. 21.
"This is a dream come true for Civica and our hospital partners as we continue to work together to stabilize the supply of essential medicines for patients across the country," said Martin VanTrieste, president and CEO of CivicaRx. "This Virginia plant and our future employees there will play an instrumental role in preventing the chronic drug shortages that have interrupted hospital operations and put patients at risk for over a decade."
The facility will be created as part of a government-funded partnership with Phlow, Medicines for All Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond and Ampac Fine Chemicals.
Phlow is a generic drugmaker founded in 2020 and based in Richmond, Va., for which Mr. VanTrieste serves on the board of directors. Medicines for All was founded in 2017 to improve access to high-quality medications across the globe by driving down production costs, and receives funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Ampac Fine Chemicals makes active pharmaceutical ingredients.
The facility will be able to make 90 million vials and 50 million pre-filled syringes per year, CivicaRx said. The company expects the facility to start operations within three years.
"Too many Americans go without access to key medications due to a broken and unreliable supply chain. This step today helps to fulfill our bold vision of making the U.S. a country where every human being has access to the essential medicines necessary to sustain life and conquer disease," said Eric Edwards, MD, PhD, president and CEO of Phlow.
Read the full news release here.
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