6/6/22 - Big Announcement From Pfizer

Pfizer announced plans to increase production of Paxlovid. They will sink millions into expanding the plant and create some 250 new jobs.

(The Detroit News)  - Pfizer Inc. has planned a $120 million investment at its Kalamazoo County facility that will create 250 additional jobs and support the production of its COVID-19 oral treatment, Paxlovid.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who joined Pfizer for the Monday announcement, said the move will build on the state’s economic momentum.

“We are the epicenter of the auto industry and home to countless other breakthroughs in sciences as well as advanced manufacturing, chips, semiconductors and more," she said. "And with this investment in Kalamazoo. we're shoring up our supply chain and showing the world that Michigan is the place to be for companies who want to do big things and need the incredible workforce to accomplish those things.”

Pfizer made some of the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at its 1,300-acre facility in Portage, the company's largest production site, which sits just south of Kalamazoo.

According to officials, Pfizer has manufactured more than 5.5 million packs of the antiviral therapy, Paxlovid, across 26 countries.

The investment at the Kalamazoo County site is expected to help meet the global demand for Paxlovid. The site is expected to be among the world’s largest producers of active pharmaceutical ingredient for the drug with the capacity to produce 1,200 metric tons annually, officials said Monday.

“We are proud to continue building on our 135-year manufacturing legacy here in Kalamazoo, where we continue to manufacture breakthrough medicines for people around the world,” David Breen, Kalamazoo site lead for Pfizer, said Monday. “As our largest manufacturing site, Kalamazoo plays a critical role in our ability to bring breakthrough medicines to those patients all over the world. We will continue to work with partners in the industry, government and everyone else through any of the challenges that may arise.”