Emergent Biosolutions doubles size of vaccine manufacturing operation in Bayview

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department designates three centers to develop and manufacture vaccines that can respond to public health threats.
One of them is in Baltimore, and it just doubled in size.
The Emergent Biosolutions facility, which is in Bayview, is now 112,000 square feet.
Equipped with lab, manufacturing and offices, it’s designed so that Emergent can produce vaccines and treatments quickly when ordered.
Since the partnership to make the site a Center for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing was inked in 2012, the facility has already completed orders to develop therapeutics during the Ebola crisis, as well as a Zika vaccine candidate.

BARDA-supported #CIADMs have developed innovative processes & cutting-edge technology that can shave weeks off of a development cycle. pic.twitter.com/DGDayzCkzQ

— HHS ASPR (@ASPRgov) May 11, 2017

Emergent, which is based in Gaithersburg, is known in biopharmaceutical circles for developing the only anthrax vaccine that was approved by the FDA. The company also uses the Baltimore facility to manufacture its own candidate products.
The company is another sign of the effort to knit Maryland’s biotech community between Baltimore and I-270 more closely together. Advances in vaccines are being developed in the city at University of Maryland-Baltimore and Johns Hopkins University, and the companies that spin out from the research that goes on at those institutions. The facility’s expansion shows the products can be made here, as well.
Along with providing medical needs, Emergent will also create jobs in Baltimore. That was a focus of remarks by officials at a ribbon-cutting on Wednesday.
“They are at the forefront of innovation, and represent everything we want in a Baltimore-area company,” said City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young, according to prepared remarks. “Emergent also continues to emphasize local hiring, which I have fought hard to promote so we can increase job opportunities and put our city to work.”