Taiwan-based biopharmaceutical manufacturer PharmaEssentia will construct a $46 million (€38.80 million) production facility in Puerto Rico to strengthen its global manufacturing footprint for rare blood disease therapies, according to a Fierce Pharma report published 10 February by Joseph Keenan.

The 40,000-square-foot plant will support supply of Besremi, PharmaEssentia's FDA-approved polycythemia vera treatment, whilst providing enhanced operational flexibility and scalable capacity for future production requirements. The facility incorporates backup generation systems and infrastructure safeguards designed to ensure uninterrupted manufacturing operations.

Phase one of the project will create nearly 100 manufacturing positions, with workforce expansion planned to align with production scale-up initiatives. The site will serve as a manufacturing hub for the United States market, diversifying PharmaEssentia's production network beyond its Taiwan operations.

"Expanding manufacturing capacity outside Taiwan is a core strategic priority for PharmaEssentia as we continue to strengthen supply resilience, scalability, and geographic diversification," said Ko-Chung Lin, founder and chief executive officer. "We are proud to take this important step toward establishing U.S.-based manufacturing, with Puerto Rico serving as a future centre for the U.S. market."

The investment follows PharmaEssentia's January announcement of positive phase 3 trial results for Besremi in essential thrombocythemia, a rare blood cancer. The company plans regulatory submissions based on data from its SURPASS-ET study, which demonstrated durable clinical responses as a second-line therapy.

Besremi received FDA approval in 2021 as the first interferon treatment for polycythemia vera available regardless of patient treatment history, addressing a disorder where bone marrow produces excessive blood cells.

View the complete report on PharmaEssentia's manufacturing expansion strategy.