Merck KGaA plans to invest €50 million ($68.5 million) in its Italian pharmaceutical and biotech production site in Bari, Italy. The new facility in Bari is to be commissioned in 2017 for the sterile filling and packaging of liquid drugs into syringes, vials, and ampoules.

Within Merck Serono’s global biotech production network, the Bari site is part of fill & finish operations alongside the facilities in Darmstadt, Germany, and Aubonne, Switzerland. According to Merck officials, the drugs produced within this global network are seeing long-term growing demand, especially those that treat infertility.

“To make Merck fit for the future, we are investing in modern, expanded production capacities,” said Karl-Ludwig Kley, chairman of the executive board of Merck, making reference to the company’s “Fit for 2018” transformation and growth program. 

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