Vetter has completed a significant level of expansion activities at its U.S. clinical manufacturing facility in suburban Chicago. The ongoing growth of the facility will help satisfy existing and increasing customer requirements as well as meet the complex needs of newer drug molecules like peptides or antibodies, many which need refrigeration or freezing. The new facility has 45 work stations, conference rooms and an archive room, and a permanent second work shift will be added in Visual Inspection over the next months. A second shift in Quality Oversight is also planned.
 
“This variety of activities is a further proof point of Vetter’s consistent strategic approach to stay ahead of the market by focusing on the important service needs of our customers during their drug development journey; promptness; flexibility; high yield of their valuable API and, of course high quality,” said Dr. Claus Feussner, senior vice president of Vetter Development Service.
 
In 2016, Vetter’s U.S. early-stage development site expanded its storage capacity by 150 percent to 3,700 sq.-ft. With the new additions, most of which are expected to be completed by April, the site will increase its storage space by an additional 3,100 sq.-ft. The new storage includes a 2,500 sq.-ft. freezer farm as well as a planned 600 sq. ft. walk-in refrigerator. In total, 6,800 sq.-ft. of storage space will result. A second extension, now in the final planning stage, will include an additional 1,500 sq.-ft. of room temperature and freezer space.
 
“When completed, the facility will have more than double the overall storage space we have currently available. This extensive expansion of freezer and refrigeration storage space represents the ongoing evolution in our Chicago business,” summarizes Dr. Susanne Lemaine, Vice President Vetter Development Service Chicago.