AZ’s £380m investment starts to take shape
THE construction phase of a development that AstraZeneca says ‘underlines its commitment’ to Macclesfield has been completed.
The medicine manufacturing facility at the company’s Hurdsfield base is part of a £380m investment to meet rising global demand for oncology medicine Zoladex.
It is a drug used to treat patients with prostate cancer, breast cancer and gynaecological disorders.
Earlier this year Prime Minister Boris Johnson came to visit the site, which will eventually replace older assets there.
Chris Maddock, from AstraZeneca, said: “Our team and partners have come together brilliantly over the past two years, working over 500,000 hours to date.
“We are incredibly proud that Macclesfield is the home of Zoladex manufacturing, a complex medicine that continues to help millions of patients around the world.
“The new facility means we will be able to help even more.”
Over the next two years the facility will be fitted with manufacturing and environmental control equipment, bringing its total cost to £280m.
Another £100m has been spent on a packaging centre, which is already open. With around 3,500 workers exporting more than 50 medicines to 130 countries the fortunes of
AstraZeneca’s Macclesfield site are crucial to the town’s economy.
MP David Rutley visited to see the completed construction work and met people from the 325-strong building team.
He said: “Congratulations to everyone involved at AstraZeneca and to their construction and engineering partners, who have reached this important milestone for the new manufacturing facility in the most challenging of circumstances.
“This is good news for all those work at the Macclesfield site, the local economy and for many patients throughout the world.”