CSL Behring said today it will spend $450 million over several years to expand its global manufacturing capacity at two sites—one each in the U.S. and Australia.

The company said it will carry out a $240 million increase in its production capacity for plasma intermediates manufactured at its Kankakee, IL, site, as well as a $210 million albumin capacity increase for its Broadmeadows facility in Melbourne.

Plasma intermediates made in Kankakee are used in making albumin and also immunoglobulins. The expansion is expected to be completed in 2017, at which time 300,000 square feet will have been added to the site.

The expansion follows FDA approval to start operations from a previous expansion of Kankakee's manufacturing operation that added 140,000 square feet to the facility.

CSL Behring also plans to start construction “in the next several weeks” on the first of two planned new manufacturing modules to be built at Broadmeadows over the next four years.

About 200 jobs will be created during construction in Broadmeadows, and 190 highly skilled manufacturing jobs will be in place when the new facility is fully operational. Broadmeadows currently has 650 employees.

“Our latest production expansion means the critical base material for our leading therapies will continue to be available—enabling us to deliver on our promise to patients around the world,” CEO Paul Perreault said in a statement.

CSL Behring opened a new Biotechnology Manufacturing Facility at Broadmeadows in May.

Kankakee and Broadmeadows are two of four sites where CSL Behring produces plasma and plasma intermediates. The other two facilities are in Bern, Switzerland, and Marburg, Germany. Earlier this year, CSL Behring said it intended to build a leading-edge recombinant production site in Lengnau, Switzerland where the company plans to produce proteins to treat immune deficiency diseases.

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