French pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organisation Unither Pharmaceuticals has announced a $106m investment to upgrade its Monroe County facility in New York, US.

This investment is aimed at consolidating, renovating and modernising the 350,000ft² facility in the town of Henrietta.

The announcement was made by New York Governor Kathy Hochul, highlighting the investment that will support the 43,000ft²  expansion.

The expansion will comprise the accommodation of new equipment, boosting warehouse expertise and upgrading the laboratories at the facility into a more energy-efficient building.

Unither will demolish parts of the Jefferson Road site to enhance operational efficiencies, cut down carbon emissions and deploy other energy cost-saving initiatives.

The facility upgrade will create 180 jobs up to 2029, adding to the 300 employees currently on site.

Acquired by Unither in 2013, the Monroe County facility manufactures medication lines and delivery options.

These include preservative-free blow-fill-seal products for eye drops and inhalation bottled cough and cold syrup and extended-release capsules, and liquid stick packs for oral solutions and suspensions.

Unither also offers services supporting the development of pharmaceutical drugs, clinical trials, regulatory assistance and technical transfer before commercialisation.

Established in the mid-1990s, the company operates manufacturing facilities in France, Brazil and China, employing 2,300 people.

Unither Pharmaceuticals CEO Eric Goupil stated: “We are extremely pleased to benefit from the support of Empire State Development, Monroe County, RG & E and Greater Rochester Enterprise in extending our facility while reducing our carbon footprint.

“This expansion will enable our Rochester plant to increase its capacity on preservative-free sterile products and will allow us to support our customers in their growth. Thanks to the dynamism of all local stakeholders, we are confident to reach a leadership position in the US.”