LOTTE Corp. has entered an agreement to purchase Bristol Myers Squibb’s manufacturing facility in East Syracuse, NY. The East Syracuse site will serve as the LOTTE Center for North America Operations for LOTTE’s new biologics contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) business in the U.S.
 
The East Syracuse site is a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility with commercial-scale production capacity for biologics. The site was originally established in 1943 to answer the U.S. government’s call for large scale production of penicillin.
 
The transaction is expected to be complete by 2H22, subject to regulatory approvals and closing conditions. 
 
LOTTE will acquire the East Syracuse site’s operations and assets, which include the property, plant and equipment, as well as a workforce with technical capabilities and expertise. Following the closing of the transaction, LOTTE, under a newly-established CDMO relationship, will manufacture product for Bristol Myers Squibb from the facility. Over time, LOTTE is expected to use the facility to expand its CDMO offerings for the biopharma industry.
 
“The East Syracuse site has been an important part of our company’s history and our manufacturing network for many decades, and we are confident that LOTTE will fully leverage the facility, its capabilities and its experienced workforce as it continues to play a vital role for patients around the world,” said Karin Shanahan, executive vice president, Global Product Development and Supply, Bristol Myers Squibb. “We have taken a thoughtful approach to this decision and are confident this will best support the continued evolution of our manufacturing network and our mission to deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases.”
 
“We are pleased to add this state-of-the-art facility to our global pharma operations, which will enable us to rapidly scale and expand our biologics CDMO business in North America,” said Hunki Lee, Executive Vice President of LOTTE Corporation. “We look forward to welcoming the talented team in East Syracuse to LOTTE, and we intend to make significant investments to further enhance the facility and its capabilities to support our strategic growth objectives moving forward.”