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Abraxis BioScience to Acquire European and U.S. Compliant Manufacturing Complex from Pfizer.


LOS ANGELES -- State-of-the-Art Puerto Rico Facility Supplements Abraxis' Manufacturing Capabilities to Support Worldwide Expansion of ABRAXANE(R) and Its Broad Injectable Portfolio

Abraxis BioScience, Inc. (NASDAQ NASDAQ
 in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations

U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on
:ABBI Advanced Breast Biopsy Instrument (ABBI)
Uses a rotating circular knife and thin heated electrical wire to remove a large cylinder of abnormal breast tissue.

Mentioned in: Fibrocystic Condition of the Breast
), an integrated, global biopharmaceutical company, today announced that Abraxis and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE NYSE

See: New York Stock Exchange
:PFE 1. (text, editor) PFE - Programmer's File Editor.
2. (language) PFE - Portable Forth Environment.
) have entered into a definitive purchase agreement whereby Abraxis will purchase Pfizer's Cruce Davila manufacturing facility in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico Barceloneta is a municipality in Puerto Rico and is located in the north region, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of Florida, east of Arecibo and west of Manati. Barceloneta is spread over 3 wards and Barceloneta Pueblo (The downtown area and the administrative center of the . This 56-acre site consists of a 172,000 square foot validated manufacturing plant with capabilities of producing EU and US compliant injectable pharmaceuticals, as well as protein based biologics and metered dosed inhalers. In addition, the acquisition includes a state-of-the-art, computer-controlled 90,000 square foot active pharmaceutical ingredients manufacturing plant, and two support facilities with quality assurance and laboratories, totaling 262,000 square feet. This facility, which is expected to employ approximately 400 to 500 people when fully-operational, will provide a third manufacturing site using the company's proprietary nanoparticle albumin bound (nab(TM)) technology to produce chemotherapeutics such as ABRAXANE(R) for Injectable Suspension (paclitaxel paclitaxel /pac·li·tax·el/ (pak?li-tak´sel) an antineoplastic that promotes and stabilizes polymerization of microtubules, isolated from the Pacific yew tree (Taxus brevifolia);  protein-bound particles for injectable suspension) (albumin-bound), the first commercial product based on this technology. Financial details were not disclosed.

Under the terms of the agreement, Abraxis will lease the chemical raw material plant back to Pfizer to continue the manufacturing of Pfizer's celecoxib, the active ingredient of Celebrex(R).

This fully-equipped facility adds to Abraxis' considerable manufacturing capacity in Melrose Park, Illinois Melrose Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 23,171 at the 2000 census. Melrose Park had long been home to a large Italian-American population, although Mexican Americans now form the majority of the population. , Grand Island, New York Grand Island is a town and an island in Erie County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 18,621. The current town name derives from the French name "La Grande Isle," as Grand Island is the largest island in the Niagara River. , and Barbengo, Switzerland and expands its European and cGMP manufacturing capabilities to provide infrastructure for worldwide growth.

Abraxis is now positioned to be one of the broadest injectable manufacturers of sterile injectable pharmaceuticals in the industry with the ability to manufacture products in diverse dosage forms such as vials, bag-fill, pre-filled syringe, lyophilized ly·oph·i·lize  
tr.v. ly·oph·i·lized, ly·oph·i·liz·ing, ly·oph·i·liz·es
To freeze-dry (blood plasma or other biological substances).



[lyophil(ic) + -ize.
, powder-fill, liquid-fill (aseptically filled and terminally sterilized ster·il·ize  
tr.v. ster·il·ized, ster·il·iz·ing, ster·il·iz·es
1. To make free from live bacteria or other microorganisms.

2.
) and metered dose inhalers for both the U.S. and European markets. Combined with the world's only protein based nanoparticle GMP GMP (guanosine monophosphate): see guanine.  manufacturing facility and the ability to vertically integrate into raw material manufacture, the company is now positioned to leverage this broad capability for global expansion of its product line.

"We have implemented a strategic plan to grow Abraxis BioScience into a global, fully integrated biopharmaceutical company with worldwide capabilities in drug development, manufacturing and marketing. The acquisition of a state-of-the-art raw material and finished dosage plant from Pfizer is the first step in implementing this plan," said Patrick Soon-Shiong, M.D., chief executive officer and executive chairman of Abraxis. "We are very excited about this expansion into Puerto Rico. It is well known for its quality manufacturing talent and has an excellent reputation for working closely with businesses."

About Abraxis BioScience, Inc.

Abraxis BioScience, Inc. is an integrated global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to meeting the needs of critically ill patients. The company develops, manufactures and markets one the broadest portfolios of injectable products and leverages revolutionary technology such as its nab(TM) platform to discover and deliver breakthrough therapeutics that transform the treatment of cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The first FDA FDA
abbr.
Food and Drug Administration


FDA,
n.pr See Food and Drug Administration.

FDA,
n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration.
 approved product to use this nab platform, ABRAXANE(R), was launched in 2005 for the treatment of metastatic Metastatic
The term used to describe a secondary cancer, or one that has spread from one area of the body to another.

Mentioned in: Coagulation Disorders


metastatic

pertaining to or of the nature of a metastasis.
 breast cancer. Abraxis trades on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol ABBI. For more information about the company and its products, please visit www.abraxisbio.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT forward-looking statement

A projected financial statement based on management expectations. A forward-looking statement involves risks with regard to the accuracy of assumptions underlying the projections.
 

The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding our expectations, beliefs, hopes, goals, intentions, initiatives or strategies, including statements regarding product and global expansion of Abraxis BioScience. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, without limitation, the adverse impact of production delays on the sales and marketing of the combined company's products, the research and development associated with the nab(TM) technology platform, the continued market adoption and demand of ABRAXANE in North America and its potential market penetration outside of the U.S., difficulties or delays in developing, testing, obtaining regulatory approval of, and producing and marketing any other products, including those in the pipeline, the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation, the impact of competitive products and pricing, the availability and pricing of ingredients used in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products, the ability to successfully manufacture products in a time-sensitive and cost effective manner, the acceptance and demand of new pharmaceutical products, the impact of patents and other proprietary rights held by competitors and other third parties. Additional relevant information concerning risks can be found in Abraxis BioScience's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005 and other documents it has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Celebrex(R) is a registered trademark of Pfizer.
COPYRIGHT 2006 Business Wire
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2006, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Publication:Business Wire
Date:Apr 25, 2006
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