Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) has completed a $280 million expansion in Devens, MA, designed to speed up development of the pharma giant’s biologics portfolio.
The expansion adds approximately 200 jobs immediately—a figure set to rise to 350 “over time,” BMS said.
BMS has added two new buildings totaling approximately 200,000 square feet at its 89-acre Devens campus—a Biologics Development Building for designing processes for the early production of investigational medicines and a Clinical Manufacturing Building where investigational medicines will be produced to support clinical trials.
“Bringing together biologics development and clinical and commercial manufacturing on one campus will help accelerate the development of these innovative medicines for patients worldwide,” Lou Schmukler, president, global manufacturing & supply at BMS, said in a statement.
The new buildings bring new capabilities to Devens, a site previously focused on large-scale, bulk biologics manufacturing. The campus now consists of eight major buildings totaling 600,000 square feet.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the completion of expansion work was held yesterday at the Devens campus.
BMS said the new buildings were also designed to encourage more interaction among employee teams working in biologics process development, clinical manufacturing, and commercial manufacturing through features that include pedestrian bridges connecting the buildings at Devens.
The campus reflects a broader company-wide focus on fostering more collaboration, creativity, and innovation in all its facilities, BMS added.
Sustainable features in the new buildings include natural light, a green roof, high-efficiency lighting and water systems, water-efficient landscaping, and wood products from sustainable sources. The Biologics Development Building has received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Silver certification for energy and environmental design, and the Clinical Manufacturing Building is also targeted for LEED Silver certification.
BMS announced the expansion in 2013. Including the just-completed expansion, BMS has spent more than $1 billion transforming a former U.S. Army base 45 minutes west of Boston into a biologics manufacturing site.
The company spent $750 million to develop the original campus, completed in 2009 as the largest capital investment in the pharma giant’s history.
BMS agreed to build the biologics complex in Devens in 2006 after winning $60 million in state and local economic incentives.
