CSL Opens Manufacturing Facility for Hemophilia Therapies

CSL Ltd. has opened the CSL Behring Biotechnology Manufacturing Facility in Melbourne, Australia. The new facility, located adjacent to the site’s manufacturing plant for plasma products, is part of a $250 million expansion at its Broadmeadows site, which will play a larger role in the company’s global operations for late-stage development of new types of hemophilia products. It will produce novel recombinant therapies on a large scale for international clinical trials.
 
The first therapy to be manufactured in the new facility is a novel blood clotting factor (rVIIa-FP) for the treatment of hemophilia. This is one of CSL’s several longer-acting clotting factors in development that aims to reduce the number of injections required to maintain normal blood clotting in bleeding disorders. Clinical trials of rVIIa-FP in patients are expected to begin later this year in the U.S., Europe and Australia.
 
“This world-class facility is key to the ongoing success of our global R&D strategy and reflects our commitment to providing better treatment options for people who are managing certain bleeding disorders and other life-threatening conditions,” said CSL chief executive officer, Paul Perreault.