MSD announced the opening of a new secondary packaging facility to support the production of vaccines and biologics, including the company’s cancer immunotherapy products. MSD also broke ground for a new inhaler production facility for the manufacture of new generation inhaler medicines in Singapore.
The new manufacturing facilities are key components of the company’s up to 500 million US Dollar investment over five years that started in 2020. This is in addition to the 2 billion US Dollar invested since the start of MSD’s manufacturing operations in Singapore in 1997.
Other components of the total investment include new technology to further the company’s environmental sustainability goals, and modernization of MSD’s information technology (IT) infrastructure in support of digitizing the facilities.
The opening of the new secondary packaging facility and ground-breaking for the inhaler production facility located at Tuas, was witnessed by Singapore’s Minister for Trade & Industry, Mr Gan Kim Yong who was the Guest-of-Honour, and Mr Robert Davis, Chief Executive Officer and President of MSD (known as Merck & Co., in the U.S. and Canada), today.
“MSD is committed to Singapore as a strategic node in our company’s global manufacturing network with a focus on producing innovative medicines to treat chronic diseases and cancer as well as vaccines that prevent infectious diseases for patients living in Singapore and throughout the Asia Pacific region and beyond,” said Fernando Otero, associate vice president, MSD Manufacturing Division, Singapore.
“The talent, research, and technology capabilities that first attracted our company to Singapore has been a key incentive for our continuing investment. We’re delighted to further invest in building technologically advanced facilities and highly skilled manufacturing here,” he added.
The investment is estimated to create over 100 new jobs over the next few years to support the new facility and multi-year investment plan, with many positions requiring advanced manufacturing and digital skills. This would bring the company’s total employees in Singapore to more than 1,800 over the next few years.
Goh Wan Yee, Senior Vice President & Head (Healthcare), Singapore Economic Development Board, said: “As the gateway to Asia Pacific, Singapore has the talent, infrastructure, and supply chain network for healthcare companies to innovate, manufacture, and commercialise products and solutions for the region. By tapping on Singapore’s deep capabilities in advanced manufacturing and digital, MSD’s latest expansion will enable it to produce more innovative medicines and vaccines to meet the region’s needs. We look forward to strengthening our long-term partnership with MSD, supporting its continued growth and creating more good job opportunities for Singaporeans.
Bringing breakthrough pharmaceutical innovations closer to Asia Pacific patients
These new facilities are located within MSD’s existing 72-acre, multi-product manufacturing hub in Tuas.
The secondary packaging facility will house a semi-automated, vial-packaging line to produce KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab), an immunotherapy to treat certain cancers, and three fully automated syringe-packaging lines to produce the company’s GARDASIL®9 (Human Papillomavirus 9-valent Vaccine, Recombinant), an HPV vaccine.
In 2021, the site commenced the sterile filling process of KEYTRUDA® vials. Secondary packaging, cold storage and a quality control laboratory will be a part of the expanded facility which further adds to the supply chain footprint for this product in Singapore.
The new inhaler medicine facility, when ready in 2026, will manufacture next generation inhaler devices for targeted administration of medicines.
“MSD has been in Singapore since 1993 and continues to invest significantly in Singapore to impact patients worldwide through our innovative medicines and vaccines. The launch of the new secondary packaging facility and ground-breaking for the new inhaler facility today highlights the value that biopharmaceutical innovation brings to Singapore, contributing to the health and wellbeing of the nation and the region,” said David Peacock, President, Asia Pacific, MSD.
“It further demonstrates our commitment to making a difference by bringing our medicines and vaccines to people as quickly as possible, while ensuring that the Asia Pacific region is well-positioned to manage future healthcare challenges,” he added.
