Merck & Co. hopes to begin making chicken pox vaccine by 2010 at its $750 million Durham manufacturing plant, following Monday's Board of County Commissioners' unanimous approval of a $2 million economic incentive package for the installation.
Merck announced plans last month to continue its 3-year-old building and expansion process at its new vaccine manufacturing plant by investing another $300 million and adding 150 to 180 more jobs, ultimately employing 400 people at the 262-acre site.
Merck already employs about 150 people at the new vaccine plant, where it hopes to start commercial operation of its sterile processing line after receiving the required approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Merck had announced its first expansion in 2006 -- a second sterile processing line, a high-speed packaging line and a quality-control lab to begin operation in 2010. Those facilities are to employ some 230 people. The most recently announced third phase will add a bulk vaccine manufacturing operation, targeting a 2011 startup.
Merck also employs about 500 people at its pharmaceutical manufacturing and packaging plant in Wilson, which produces medicines for treating asthma, osteoporosis and high cholesterol.