AZ boosts local production
May 21, 2013
ASTRAZENECA Australia has
announced a third production line
at its plant in North Ryde, NSW,
significantly boosting capacity
in response to growing Chinese
demand for a key asthma drug.
The company currently exports
$254 million worth of product
annually, and this figure is set to
rise to $340 million by 2015.
Special machinery, which can
produce 65 million units a year, will
be custom built in Melbourne at a
cost of over $20m, with the firm’s
md Mark Fladrich saying that in
the current difficult environment
for Australian manufacturing,
“AstraZeneca is carrying the torch
for high-end production.”
“We’ve been saying for some time
that the country has a tremendous
opportunity to get behind the
Australian medicines industry as a
sector,” he said.
“Our industry is delivering $4
billion a year in exports...but
we need policy stability in our
commercial environment if we’re to
sustain this growth,” Fladrich said.
“That’s something we’re looking
for from the next government”.
He said that as much plant
equipment as possible is sourced
locally, with production involving
a niche suppliers including plastic
manufacturers and delivery firms.
“We are producing an Australian
product on Australian built
specialist machinery which will
benefit the wider Australian
economy,” Fladrich said.
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