Jazz Pharmaceuticals and its subsidiary, GW Pharmaceuticals (GW) – a cannabis-based medicines specialist – has announced the official initiation of construction of its new, manufacturing facility at Kent Science Park (KSP) in Sittingbourne.
The new facility will be approximately 60,000 sq. ft, with an investment of over $100 million (approximately £75 million). Once operational, the facility will create more than 100 new jobs. Due to open in 2024, the facility is designed to support the company’s two regulatory-approved cannabis-based medicines and support future capacity for new medicines under development.
Jazz currently manufactures the extract, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and the formulated drug products at KSP, occupying 12 buildings with more than 400 employees, making it, and the UK, the heart of its global cannabinoid manufacturing operations.
The new facility has been designed with careful consideration to the environment, and this will continue through its build phase and use. Animal refuge boxes will be installed to promote wildlife in the local area, the use of single use plastics will be minimised, and more than 1,100 solar panels will be installed to provide a portion of the building’s energy usage.
Chris Tovey, executive vice president, chief operating officer and managing director, Europe & International at Jazz Pharmaceuticals, said: “The UK has been our home for over two decades. This strategic investment underlines Jazz’s continued commitment to the UK and will help us bring potentially life-changing medicines to more patients who desperately need them in the UK and around the world. We are thrilled to have commenced construction of this state-of-the-art facility in Kent, which will create more than 100 permanent, highly skilled jobs. This facility, which is expected to open in 2024, will not only significantly increase our ability to support the growing demand for our medicines, but help us maintain our position as a world leader in cannabinoid science.”
George Freeman MP, minister for science, research and innovation, added: “This £75 million investment by Jazz Pharmaceuticals in a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical manufacturing facility is a big sign of confidence in the UK life science ecosystem. Not only will this investment support the creation of over 100 additional highly skilled jobs in the region, it is a sign of UK expertise in cannabinoid science and medicines serving the U.K. and beyond."