GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Australia has announced that it will be investing AUD$31 million (US $27 million) to expand blow-fill-seal capabilities at its site in Boronia. Australia, in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

The expansion will include the introduction of high-speed blow-fill-seal machinery specifically developed for advanced aseptic packing of sterile pharmaceutical liquids.GSK's manufacturing facility in Boronia is the company's largest globally for the production of sterile and non-sterile liquid products.

The blow-fill-seal machine will be dedicated for the manufacturing of Ventolin (salbutamol sulfate) nebules and will allow the facility to meet increased demands from emerging markets, in particular China, Turkey, and Brazil. The new blow-fill-seal machine is expected to become operational in Boronia in January 2016.

This announcement is part of a series of sizeable investments GSK has made in recent years to strengthen its manufacturing capabilities in both Australia and the UK. These include a previous investment of $AUD60million ($52 million) in Boronia to advance the site's blow-fill-seal capability, new equipment across a number of sites in the UK, and the establishment of two new UK-based facilities.

Source: GlaxoSmithKline