Pharmaceutical manufacturer Granules India, Ltd., announced a $12.5 million investment to create a drug packaging and shipping center in Prince William County. The India-based company manufactures off-patent drugs like ibuprofen and acetaminophen and said the center would help them be more vertically integrated, starting with the initial pharmaceutical component and going to final steps in the process.
“The addition of a U.S. packaging facility will result in Granules being among the few pharmaceutical companies to be vertically integrated from API [active pharmaceutical ingredient] to packaging, which will bolster the robustness of Granules’ supply chain while also enabling the company to react even faster to consumers’ growing needs for pharmaceutical products,” company Founder Dr. Krishna Prasad Chigurupati said in a press release from the governor’s office.“The company chose Virginia because of Prince William County’s responsiveness which allowed Granules faster access to commercialization. In addition, Prince William offers a dynamic and diverse workforce that is eager to work along with the site’s proximity to several major seaports. Granules also chose to expand within Virginia to leverage its existing manufacturing footprint and workforce.”
The company provides products including APIs and finished dosages to brands and generics in 75 countries, and already has a research and development and manufacturing facility in Fairfax.
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership and Prince William County worked to get the project with the help of a $200,000 Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund grant approved by former Governor Ralph Northam.
“As we learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, a robust domestic medical supply chain is critical to ensure a secure, reliable, and safer system for patients and our national security,” Congressman Rob Wittman (R-VA-01) said in Youngkin’s release. “Investments like this, especially right here in Virginia’s First District, are exactly how we continue to expand and excel in this space, while adding additional jobs to the Commonwealth of Virginia. I commend the Governor for continuing to advance Virginia as a national leader in domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing.”
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Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Granules India, Ltd” by Granules India, Ltd.
