HQ Team
October 27, 2024: GSK Plc., will invest $800 million in its manufacturing facility in the US — the largest investment to date in the country — to make sterile liquid vaccines and medicines as demand grows.
The Marietta factory will also add a research and development plant to manufacture medicines for clinical trials, according to a company statement.
“GSK will establish a new vaccine drug substance facility at the site, dedicated to manufacturing products based on the company’s novel MAPS technology, after future regulatory submissions and approvals.”
The Multiple Antigen Presenting System, or MAPS, aims to provide broader protection by combining multiple sugar and protein antigens – substances that are recognised by the immune system – from the surface of the bacteria into one vaccine.
This will activate different parts of the immune system and may elicit a stronger immune response against multiple types of a particular bacterium.
Lego blocks
The sugar antigens, called polysaccharides, have the potential to stimulate an antibody response, while the protein antigens can elicit an additional T-cell (immune cell) and antibody response.
The unique way of linking the antigens together in a modular fashion, like connecting Lego blocks, is designed to overcome the complex chemistry of traditional vaccines. It could also make manufacturing new vaccines quicker and easier, according to a company statement.
The MAPS technology was added to GSK’s portfolio through its acquisition of Affinivax Inc., in August 2022.
Operations to start within four years
Construction of the new facilities in Marietta is expected to start by the end of this year.
The drug substance facility is anticipated to be operational by the end of 2027, and the drug product facility by the end of 2028.
The expansion will double the size and capacity of the Marietta site. The facility will incorporate the latest technologies for solar panels, electric heat generation, and water and energy reclamation.
Both facilities will feature smart utility and electrical system monitoring and controls, digital twins for continuous process optimisation, robotics for material handling, and predictive maintenance and digital scheduling enabled by artificial intelligence.
Since 2017, GSK has invested close to $1.3 billion in the US manufacturing capabilities.
