Merck recently made an announcement regarding the expansion of its facility located in Lenexa, Kansas, USA. The company plans to add 9,100 square meters of laboratory space and enhance production capability specifically for the manufacturing of cell culture media.
“The Lenexa expansion reflects our commitment to meeting the dynamic needs of our customers worldwide and delivering on our growth plans,” said Darren Verlenden, Head of Process Solutions Life Science business sector, Merck. “This expansion makes Lenexa the company’s largest dry powder cell culture media facility and Center of Excellence in North America. Investing in the region reflects our strategy to expand and diversify our supply chain to ensure we meet current and future demand for cell culture media.”
Cell culture media plays a vital role as a raw material in the production of life-saving therapies, and it is used in various processes such as vaccine manufacturing, gene therapy, and monoclonal antibody manufacturing. Given its significance in biomanufacturing, a steady supply of high-quality media is essential to achieve the necessary concentration and protein quality required for therapeutic purposes.
“Governor Kelly’s administration knows that supporting private sector efforts to strengthen supply chains benefits Kansas workers,” said David Toland, Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce, Kansas, USA. “These new opportunities offered by the Life Science business of Merck will allow even more families throughout the region to prosper.”
To cater to the increasing demand and ensure a reliable supply for the future, Merck is strategically investing in expanding its capacity. This includes establishing new dry powder media manufacturing lines at the existing production facilities in Lenexa, Kansas, and Nantong, China. These investments will bolster both local and global production capacity, addressing current demands and preparing for future surges in demand.
Merck currently operates three Centers of Excellence for dry powder cell culture media manufacturing. Alongside the Lenexa facility, which serves the Americas region, there are sites in Nantong, China, catering to the Asia Pacific region, and Irvine, Scotland, serving the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region.
