Agilent Technologies announced that it will expand its state-of-the-art production facility in Frederick, Colorado, that develops and manufactures “oligos,” short DNA and RNA molecules used to create nucleic acid-based therapeutics. Oligos hold the potential to develop treatments for cancer, COVID-19, cardiovascular disease, rare and infectious diseases, and other conditions. The expansion will more than double the current capacity for manufacturing therapeutic oligos at the Frederick site.
Agilent expects the supplier market for therapeutic oligos to exceed US$ 750 million in 2025 with projected double-digit annual growth over the next five years. The addition of the higher-volume manufacturing line will help Agilent meet this growing demand from leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Customer shipments from the new line are expected to begin by the end of 2022.
“We are excited about the ongoing growth of the therapeutic oligo market and the continued strong interest in our oligo contract development and manufacturing organization services from existing and potential new customers,” said Sam Raha, president of Agilent’s Diagnostics and Genomics Group. “Adding this higher-volume line enables us to keep pace with demand while continuing to deliver a premium product with superior customer service. As a leading oligo manufacturer for more than 20 years, Agilent is uniquely qualified to support this critical and growing biopharma industry segment.”
Agilent is investing approximately US$ 150 million to add 25,000 square feet of manufacturing capacity to the Frederick facility. The new capacity will also expand Agilent’s presence in Colorado, where the company has had an oligo manufacturing site in nearby Boulder since 2006. The Frederick facility, 30 miles north of Denver, has been operating since 2019. Both sites are current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) facilities designated by the US Food and Drug Administration.
“Today’s announcement reaffirms our commitment to Frederick and the state of Colorado,” Raha added. “The addition of another high-volume line will provide new jobs and new career opportunities that are unique to the area.”
