AstraZeneca, spurred by China’s respiratory demands, expands Australian plant

Fierce Pharma ------- Air pollution in big cities and a high smoking rate have led to China’s growing demands in respiratory treatments, and AstraZeneca is feeling it. The British pharma is pouring AUD 100 million (about $77 million) to expand production of respiratory medicines at its Sydney site. AstraZeneca will use the money to add three production lines to the existing eight, each with the capacity to produce over 70 million units of asthma med Pulmicort Respules per year. The company said in a release that it will boost exports from the site to over AUD 2.4 billion ($1.8 billion) over the next four years, with a further goal of doubling respules production to 1 billion by 2025. CEO Pascal Soriot announced the plan alongside Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during the latter’s visit in London. The upgrade is already underway and will be operational in the first quarter of 2019, according to an AstraZeneca spokesperson. To learn more click on the picture below to read the article.