MSD has opened a $1bn facility in Durham, in the US state of North Carolina, to increase vaccine manufacturing capacity.
The development is part of a broader strategy, with MSD having invested $12bn in US capital since 2018, aimed at widening domestic manufacturing and research and development offerings to generate new employment opportunities in the country.
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An additional investment of $8bn is anticipated by 2028.
The 225,000ft² facility is set to incorporate best practices and insights from across the company’s manufacturing division network.
MSD manufacturing division president and executive vice-president Sanat Chattopadhyay stated: “Expanding our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Durham marks a significant milestone in our efforts to strengthen our production and manufacturing capabilities in the US.
“The cutting-edge technologies employed here empower our workforce and underscore our leadership in innovation to support patients everywhere.”
The facility also incorporates technical and digital capabilities, which include generative AI, data analytics and three-dimensional (3D) printing, alongside a training centre featuring a digital twin.
The digital twin is a virtual model of the shop floor manufacturing process system to expedite training for new employees and to test process changes before implementation.
MSD Durham manufacturing division site in Durham plant manager and vice-president Amanda Taylor stated: “This level of investment and commitment speaks so powerfully to the work we do here in Durham. To see the pride and the energy of the people who work here and are helping drive this evolution in our capabilities is just phenomenal.”
In February 2025, the company received conditional approval from the European Commission for the oral hypoxia-inducible factor-2 alpha (HIF-2α) inhibitor, Welireg, for adults with von Hippel-Lindau disease who have advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma.
