Roche plans to invest $880 million within its global manufacturing network to increase production capabilities for its biologic medicines over the next five years. The investment will be spread across sites in Penzberg, Germany; Basel, Switzerland; and Vacaville and Oceanside, Calif., U.S. Approximately 500 new jobs will be created in conjunction with the facility expansions.

"Biologic medicines have become an essential part of modern medicine and play an important role in improving the lives of patients,” said Daniel O’Day, chief operating officer of Roche’s pharmaceuticals division. “Increasing our manufacturing capacity also highlights the confidence we have in the research and development of a range of new biologic medicines that will help serve unmet medical needs.”

The investment will support increasing demand for licensed biologic medicines, such as RoACTEMRA (tocilizumab), Kadcyla (trastuzumab emtansine) and Perjeta (pertuzumab), alongside providing a strong foundation for the delivery of 39 investigational biologic medicines in the Roche pipeline.

Biologic manufacturing capacity will be increased in the U.S. with a planned investment of approximately $286 million creating around 250 new jobs. In Germany, Roche will invest approximately $385 million toward increased manufacturing capacity and equipment refurbishment, creating around 200 positions.

Construction of an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) production facility will begin in Switzerland through an investment of over $209 million, which is expected to create 50 jobs. This investment will provide additional capacity and flexibility to support Roche’s first approved ADC, Kadcyla, and eight more ADCs in clinical development.