CSL has officially opened the $230 million advanced manufacturing facility at its site in the northern Melbourne suburb of Broadmeadows.
The company describes the facility as an important addition to the Australian pharmaceutical manufacturing landscape. It is expected to produce therapies with an estimated annual market value of $850 million, led by Albumin, a protein derived from human plasma that is used in critical care to treat burns and shock. It is also expected to generate up to 200 new jobs by 2026.
The development, which received significant support from the Victorian Government, was officially opened with the assistance of the state's minister for industry and employment, Ben Carroll.
The plant will be constructed over two modules, with the opening marking completion of module one. The module will expand albumin production on the site to 100 tonnes per annum. When it comes online, module two will add a further 100 tonnes in capacity.
When fully operational, the facility will export product to the US and Europe, while also producing commercial product for the local Australian and Asia Pacific markets.
“CSL’s investment in Broadmeadows embeds the site into our global plasma manufacturing supply chain, which now supplies lifesaving therapies to patients in more than 60 countries,” said CEO Paul Perreault.
He also acknowledged the Victorian Government’s support. “State Government support for this project helped secure the facility for Broadmeadows and was contingent on our meeting agreed project milestones and employment outcomes.”
Minister Carroll said, “This project will bring new advanced manufacturing jobs to Broadmeadows and help sustain the 1000 highly skilled jobs already on this site.
"This facility is a great example of the sort of advanced manufacturing that can help drive economic growth in Victoria.”
Minister for trade and investment, innovation and the digital economy and small business, Philip Dalidakis, said, “This is yet another example of an innovative company investing in Victoria to support our economy and create jobs, and we look forward to continuing to work with CSL well into the future.”
The company has invested over $610 million into the site over the past five years, it said. The site opened a Biotechnology Manufacturing Facility in May 2014, for the large-scale manufacture of novel recombinant therapies for international clinical trials, and in December 2015 opened the Turner Facility for the manufacture of a therapy to treat immune disorders.
The Broadmeadows site is home to Australia’s only plasma manufacturing facility and the only commercial scale facility of its type in the Southern Hemisphere.