Baxter will build a new $1bn (€77.8bn) manufacturing facility in Georgia, US, in a bid to boost its plasma-based therapy platform.
The firm says the new fractionation plant - which has capacity to process three million liters of plasma a year - will support commercial scale production of its treatments for immune disorders and trauma.
The news follows a positive fourth quarter for Baxter, which saw a 9.5 per cent rise in earnings, largely mdriven by revenue growth for its bioscience and medical products units.
Baxter said: "Unlike some other health-care companies, has seen consistent sales and profit growth in recent quarters as the medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnologies it makes treat serious medical problems that can't be ignored, such as cancer, immune disorders and trauma.
“The product mix has made it less susceptible to patients looking to pare medical costs amid a slow economic recovery.”
Middle Eastern generic drugmaker Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries (Julphar) has started work on an $32m facility in Algeria in partnership with the local Ministry of Health (MoH).
Located in the capital Algiers, the plant will allow Julphar to bring its products into the North African market. It is expected to reach completion in 2014.
Of the partnership, the Algerian Minister of Health, Minister Djamel Ould Abbas, said: "We can confirm that the laying of the foundation stone for this project is an important step on the path to the establishment of a new phase in the UAE's active participation with Algeria, which is one of the most important markets in North Africa.
“We are confident that our joint efforts will benefit all the countries of North Africa and provide a secure and safe environment for the production of pharmaceutical products."
Vetter has opened a new centre for visual inspection and logistics in Ravensburg, Germany.
The €35m new-build includes high-bay warehousing capacity for both cool and room-temperature storage.
The CDMO (contract development and manufacturing organisation) said the factory is an answer to industry’s increasing need for safer and more efficient supply chain processes.
“The pharma and biotech industries are increasingly seeking safer and more efficient supply chain processes,” said a spokesperson.
“With its state-of-the-art systems and technology for warehousing and administration of goods, the CDMO’s entire supply chain is now adapted to the needs of the separate supply and manufacturing processes.”