AstraZeneca plans $1.5 billion biotech facility in Singapore

Pharmaceutical multinational AstraZeneca intends to build a $1.5 billion manufacturing facility in Singapore to produce antibody drug conjugates (ADCs).

ADCs are used in next-generation cancer treatment.

Supported by the Economic Development Board (EDB), this greenfield facility will be AstraZeneca’s first end-to-end ADC production site, fully incorporating all steps of the complicated ADC manufacturing process at a commercial scale.

According to the EDB, Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology is a rapidly growing industry in Singapore, and is once of four strategic sectors that Singapore has committed S$25 billion to public sector research.

“We welcome AstraZeneca’s decision to establish a manufacturing presence in Singapore for the first time. It will also be a first for AstraZeneca – an end-to-end manufacturing facility for novel antibody drug conjugates that enables precision therapy for cancer. This greenfield investment is a strong show of confidence in Singapore’s biopharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities and talent, strengthens our ecosystem in supporting the development and manufacturing of precision medicines, and creates meaningful jobs and economic opportunities for Singapore. We look forward to a successful partnership with AstraZeneca.”

The pharmaceutical sector employs 9,000 Singaporeans and produced over S$19 billion worth of export products in 2022.

“AstraZeneca has built an industry- leading portfolio of cancer medicines including antibody drug conjugates which have shown enormous potential to replace traditional chemotherapy for patients across many settings. Singapore is one of the world’s most attractive countries for investment given its reputation for excellence in complex manufacturing, and I am excited for AstraZeneca to locate our $1.5 billion ADC manufacturing facility in the country.”

AstraZeneca aims to begin construction of this manufacturing facility by the end of 2024, and will incorporate green solutions so that the facility will emit zero carbon when it begins operation in 2029.

What are ADCs?

ADCs are biopharmaceutical (a drug produced from biological sources) drugs used in targeted therapy to deliver potent cancer-killing agents directly through an antibody designed to target and kill a specific tumor cell, limiting side effects.

The manufacture of ADCs is a multi-step process that comprises antibody production, synthesis of chemotherapy drug (also known as the ‘warhead’) and linker, conjugation of drug-linker to the antibody, and filling of the completed ADC substance.

Featured image: AstraZeneca