Merck & Co. has announced plans to continue its 3-year-old building and expansion process at its new Durham vaccine manufacturing plant by investing another $300 million and adding 150 to 180 more jobs, ultimately employing 400 people and investing $700 million 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 next year after collecting 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 newly 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.