Aspen opens $80mn manufacturing facility in South Africa

The South African pharmaceutical firm, Aspen Pharmacare, has opened a new high-containment facility, located in Port Elizabeth, in the south coast of the nation.

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed company has invested R1bn (US$80mn) into the site, marking the first of three new plants.

The firm aims to become a world leader in the niche pharmaceuticals market, and will use highly equipped facilities to enable the complex manufacturing required in the field.

The 23,000sqm site will have the capacity to produce 3.6bn tablets per annum, and package 3mn bottles per month.

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Aspen anticipates that 90% of its production will be export across the globe, manufacturing medication for cancer and Parkinson’s disease, such as alkeran, leukeran, purinethol, and benztropine.

“High-containment facilities are not readily found globally and present a strategic domestic and export opportunity,” commented Stephen Saas, CEO of Aspen Pharmacare.

“With this new facility, it is anticipated that around 95% of these new products are to be exported with target markets in Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa with the first exports expected to Europe,” remarked Rob Davies, South Africa's Minister of Trade.

The firm has also confirmed that it will be investing an additional R2bn ($160mn) to build two sterile plants, used to produce anesthetic and injectable thrombosis medicines.