Pfizer Inc., (NYSE:PFE) one of the world's premier biopharmaceutical companies, broke ground on a state-of-the art Research and Development (R&D) and process development facility at 875 W. Chesterfield Parkway, Chesterfield, MO. The new campus will be owned by Pfizer and will bring together more than 450 employees who currently work at multiple locations which the company leases in the St. Louis area. Pfizer expects to hire an additional 80 employees over the coming years to support research at the site. Construction is expected to be complete by mid-2019.

The facility will provide approximately 295,000 square feet of R&D space to house Pfizer’s BioTherapeutics Pharmaceutical Sciences group and enabling partners. This team is responsible for advancing Pfizer’s biologics, vaccines, and gene therapy portfolio by developing manufacturing processes and dosage forms applying state-of-the-art analytical technologies, conducting non-GMP manufacturing and scale-up studies. This critical work enables the development of potential new medicines to treat ailments in oncology, rare disease, internal medicine, inflammation & immunology, and vaccines, including biosimilars.

"We've been proud to call Missouri home since 2002," said John Ludwig, Senior Vice President of BioTherapeutics Pharmaceutical Sciences for Pfizer. "During this time, we've benefitted from the excellent life sciences workforce based in Missouri, and also from a strong partnership with the State, St. Louis County, and the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership. All of these were important factors as we sought a new home where we could continue to evolve our business over the coming years."

"This is an important project that will create good-paying jobs for Missourians. We're proud that Pfizer is investing and growing in Missouri," said Gov. Eric Greitens.

"There was a lot of competition for this facility," said St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger. "It makes sense an innovative company like Pfizer - that is at the forefront of its industry - recognizes the advantages of expanding in St. Louis County. I think that is a testament to our business-friendly climate and the quality of our workforce in St. Louis County. Our workers are well-educated and tech savvy. They are ready to do the important work that will be done here to save lives around the world."

As part of the strategic incentives package from St. Louis County and the State of Missouri, Pfizer is donating $20,000 to the local Parkway School District to support STEM education.

New state-of-the-art features of the campus will include a floor plan which provides flexible laboratory layouts, scientific casework and utility hookups, open office and collaboration spaces and increased conferencing technologies where researchers can collaborate. CRG is providing design-build management services, partnering with Clayco as the design-builder. All architecture, landscape design, engineering, interior and lab/process design was provided by Forum and Ewing Cole.

The St. Louis site is an important part of Pfizer's worldwide R&D network, which includes locations in La Jolla, Calif.; Pearl River, NY; Groton, Conn.; and Cambridge and Andover, Mass.

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At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of healthcare products. Our global portfolio includes medicines and vaccines as well as many of the world's best-known consumer healthcare products. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 150 years, Pfizer has worked to make a difference for all who rely on us.