MilliporeSigma Unveils New €290 Million Biosafety Testing Center in the United States
MilliporeSigma, part of the U.S. and Canada Life Science sector of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, has inaugurated its latest biosafety testing facility located in Rockville, Maryland, U.S. The company has poured an investment of €290 million (6 million) into this state-of-the-art facility to cater to the surging global requirement for biosafety testing and analytical development services.
Biological safety testing plays a pivotal role in the drug development and commercialization process, as the demand for biological products continues to escalate. These testing services are crucial in ensuring the integrity of biological products, adhering to regulatory standards, and protecting public health. The biological safety testing market was valued at €3.8 billion (.1 billion) in 2023, with projections indicating an increase to €11.6 billion (.6 billion) by 2032, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.6%.
Upon the facility’s launch, Benjamin Hein, Head of Life Science Services at Merck KGaA, expressed: “This expansion represents the largest financial commitment to contract testing in our company’s legacy. It will empower us to enhance automation and technological advancement within a single integrated location. This initiative underlines our dedication to delivering revolutionary platforms that can reduce biosafety testing timelines, meet escalating global needs, and ensure the safety of medications for patients worldwide.”
The new biosafety testing center spans 23,000 square meters, consolidating laboratories that were previously distributed among four distinct buildings. This new configuration fosters improved collaboration among scientists while enhancing automation and digital processes. The facility is equipped to provide biosafety testing, analytical development, and cell banking manufacturing services, all designed to increase the probability of first-time-right results and expedite drug development cycles.
“The site will feature cutting-edge testing capabilities, such as a rapid methods package aimed at speeding up virus testing for bulk harvest materials. This package is notable for incorporating the Blazar® CHO Animal Origin Free (AOF) panel, which is a precise molecular technique for identifying virus families. By amalgamating the Blazar® CHO AOF panel with tests for mycoplasma, sterility, and retrovirus-like particle detection, results can now be delivered in just 14 days, in stark contrast to the traditional 35-day timeframe,” the company conveyed in a press release.