Civica Inc.will invest $27.8 million to establish a new laboratory testing facility at Meadowville Technology Park in Chesterfield County.
The company announced Thursday that it will construct a 55,000-square-foot facility to support Civica’s Petersburg pharmaceutical manufacturing operation through quality testing and development of new products.
The project will create 51 new jobs. In addition, it will host a scale-up manufacturing facility operated by Virginia Commonwealth University’s Medicines for All Institute, which will create additional employment.
“With this investment, Civica is building on its long-term commitment to patients – and to Virginia,” said Ned McCoy, Civica’s president and CEO. “This lab will support a skilled and highly trained workforce who will ensure Civica’s affordable insulin as well as other essential medicines meet the highest standards.”
“Chesterfield County is thrilled to have Civica’s new laboratory testing facility locate at the Meadowville Technology Park,” said Chesterfield Board of Supervisors Chairman Chris Winslow. “The new facility will play a key role in helping to support the manufacturing and testing of lower-cost generic drugs, which will help bring down costs for our residents.”
Civica is a nonprofit generic drug company launched in 2018 to address the problem of chronic generic drug shortages and high drug prices. In January 2021, Civica announced that it will establish a 140,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility to manufacture sterile injectable drugs in the City of Petersburg. In addition to manufacturing essential medicines hospitals use daily, Civica recently announced plans to manufacture and distribute insulins that, once approved, will be available to people with diabetes at significantly lower prices than insulins currently on the market. Civica’s new laboratory testing facility in Chesterfield County is expected to be operational soon after the Petersburg plant reaches commercial scale in 2024.
The construction of the lab will be supported by an award from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to the Alliance for Building Better Medicine, a coalition that aims to expand essential medicines manufacturing in the Richmond-Petersburg region. Civica will provide matching capital.
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Chesterfield County to secure the project for Virginia. Gov. Glenn Youngkin approved a $400,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist Chesterfield County with the project.
“Civica’s investment is another transformational step forward in strengthening the advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing hub in the Richmond-Petersburg region and positioning Virginia as a key player in domestic drug manufacturing in America,” Youngkin said. “Civica is a critical partner in the Commonwealth’s emerging pharmaceutical ecosystem that will ensure access to affordable, lifesaving medications while providing high-quality jobs and an incredible boost to our economy.”
Support for Civica’s job creation will continue to be provided through the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program, a workforce initiative created by VEDP in collaboration with the Virginia Community College System and other higher education partners, with funding support from the Governor’s administration and the Virginia General Assembly. Launched in 2019, the program accelerates new facility start-ups through the direct delivery of recruitment and training services that are fully customized to a company’s unique products, processes, equipment, standards, and culture. All program services are provided at no cost to qualified new and expanding companies as an incentive for job creation.
Brightpoint Community College has built an innovative new training program for people to gain the qualifications needed to qualify for a high-paying Manufacturing Technician role in Civica’s new Petersburg facility. Applicants interested in the program or any of Civica’s wide range of professional career opportunities can visit civicarx.org/careers.
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