Amgen has broken ground on its $365 million plant in New Albany, Ohio, which will support assembly and packaging for its medicines.

Amgen announced its plans to build a 270,000 square-foot facility in New Albany in June, which would see the firm create approximately 400 jobs ranging from technicians, engineers, quality assurance, quality control, administrative and management positions.

Now, the firm has started constructing the plant and says it expects the site to be fully operational by 2024.

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According to the firm, the plant is designed to be able to assemble, label and package vials and syringes for a wide variety of Amgen medicines and it will feature assembly and final product packaging capabilities based on advanced digital automation technologies.

“Amgen’s choice to build a cutting-edge facility where approximately 400 Ohioans will assemble and package medicines that will positively benefit the lives of millions of those battling serious illnesses globally is great news for the state of Ohio,” said Ohio governor Mike DeWine.

“Amgen’s newest plant will be its most efficient and sustainable yet while showcasing the advantages of tapping into Ohio’s biotech talent and ingenuity.”

In June, the firm did not disclose why Amgen had opted to build an inhouse facility rather than use a third-party, but in its most recent press release, the company said the plant will support the increased demand for its medicines in the US.

Amgen also invested $550 million in August to build a drug substance facility in Holly Springs, North Carolina to support stainless steel-fed batch manufacturing and single use technologies.