Pfizer Acquires Abzena’s Biologic Manufacturing Facility

The contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Abzena and Pfizer’s CDMO arm CenterOne reached an agreement last week, under which Pfizer will take control of Abzena’s biologics manufacturing facility in Sanford, North Carolina.

The Sanford site employs approximately 325 people in the region and sits just south of the “Research Triangle” that comprises the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area. Pfizer plans to use the former Abzena site to expand its biological pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities and accelerate its growing pipeline of biologic therapies.

“Biologics continue to be an integral part of Pfizer’s pipeline, and this acquisition will expand our research, clinical, and commercial manufacturing capacity and help us accelerate the development of our pipeline products as well as support our Pfizer CentreOne customers,” said Mike McDermott, Chief Global Supply Officer, Executive Vice President of Pfizer.  “Furthermore, this site is located near our existing Rocky Mount and Sanford manufacturing sites, enabling access to turn-key services spanning large molecule drug substance through fill finish.”

Pfizer began investing in its own Sanford-area facility in 2017 with a $100 million commitment. Initially, its site was used for clinical trial drug substances and products for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, hemophilia B, and hemophilia A. In 2019, Pfizer expanded its operations in Sanford with a $500 million addition that grew its gene therapy production line.

Abzena built its Sanford-based facility to keep up with the demand for commercial-scale bioreactors to create complex biologic therapies. The construction initially cost the company over $200 million and was optimized for phase 3 and commercial manufacturing using 2000-liter reactors.

In a press release, Matt Stober, Abzena’s CEO, said, “We’re thrilled to announce this agreement with Pfizer. I am very proud of the facility and our colleagues who worked tirelessly in its construction, and we look forward to building our future collaboration with Pfizer.”

Pfizer’s new site is roughly 100 miles from its Rocky Mount production facility, where the company manufactures nearly 25% of all sterile injectables used in United States hospitals.

Beyond North Carolina, Pfizer has also invested hundreds of millions in its Michigan manufacturing capabilities, where the company is expanding its mRNA technology division. In December last year, Pfizer announced its $750 million expansion in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where they plan to boost manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Additionally, Pfizer owns pharmaceutical manufacturing plants in Massachusetts, Ohio, Kansas, Wisconsin, and New York, where it produces a plethora of therapies, vaccines, medical devices, and drug products.