Pfizer Inc. and Abzena have entered into an agreement under which Pfizer will acquire Abzena’s manufacturing facility in Sanford, NC. Upon completion of the construction, the state-of-the-art facility will produce biologics drug substance and provide additional manufacturing capacity allowing Pfizer to help accelerate its innovative pipeline. In addition, Abzena and Pfizer’s CentreOne contract manufacturing organization will seek to collaborate to advance complex biologic products to market.
The new Sanford, NC site is expected to employ approximately 300 employees by 2025, including the current staff of approximately 100 employees. This is expected to bring Pfizer’s total workforce in North Carolina to more than 4,500 employees. The site will employ experts in both biological pharmaceutical sciences and biological manufacturing, enabling Pfizer to offer a comprehensive co-development capability. Since 2017, Pfizer has invested more than $5 billion to support the ongoing growth of its manufacturing footprint in the U.S., with $1.4 billion invested in North Carolina.