Siemens Healthineers to Significantly Expand its Walpole, Mass. Laboratory Diagnostic Manufacturing Facility

Facility will manufacture assays for the next-generation laboratory system, the Atellica Solution*

16 Dec 2016
Weylan Kiam-Laine
Microbiologist

Industry news

Siemens Healthineers will invest around $300 million in its Walpole, Mass. laboratory diagnostics manufacturing and research and development facility. The investment extends over four years and is another proof point that Siemens Healthineers invests in innovation to enable healthcare providers around the world to meet their current challenges and to excel in their respective environments. Through products and solutions designed to increase efficiency and reduce costs, Siemens Healthineers sets new trends in healthcare together with its customers – working under the motto “Engineering Success. Pioneering Healthcare. Together.”

“The expansion of the Walpole facility fits into the strategic growth plans for the company and allows us to increase our manufacturing footprint in the United States, the largest healthcare market in the world,” said Bernd Montag, Chief Executive Officer, Siemens Healthineers. “The laboratory instruments and reagents developed and manufactured at the Siemens Healthineers Walpole facility impact patients and healthcare providers across the globe.”

The Walpole facility currently employs more than 700 employees and is the main manufacturing facility for assays that run on the ADVIA® Centaur family of immunoassay instruments, and for consumables for the company's molecular and blood gas testing instruments. The facility will also manufacture assays to run on the immunoassay module of the AtellicaTM Solution¹, which is currently under FDA review. R&D efforts at the site bring new tests to the diagnostics market to help physicians diagnose and treat disease.

“With a 37-year history of manufacturing products in Walpole, we saw an opportunity to leverage the local talent in the community to further our growth and expansion plans,” said Franz Walt, President, Laboratory Diagnostics, Siemens Healthineers.

The company plans to upgrade and expand its existing 500,000 sq. ft. complex. Renovations to the existing facility will begin in the coming weeks. The expansion—which will include manufacturing, warehouse, office and lab space—is set to begin in the summer. Siemens Healthineers is committed to creating at least 400 positions. The company anticipates that it may ultimately create up to as many as 700 new permanent jobs to bring the total employment at the site to between 1,300 and 1,600 by 2026. These employees will join the 46,000 Siemens Healthineers around the world who enable healthcare providers to deliver excellent patient care.

“I am proud that Siemens has chosen to grow its laboratory diagnostics unit in Massachusetts,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “The Commonwealth is pleased to continue building a pro-growth economic environment that creates more jobs for our communities, and remains focused on supporting globally competitive life sciences and advanced manufacturing. I thank Siemens Healthineers for their commitment to Massachusetts, and look forward to continuing to partner with the company to move this important economic development project forward.”

*Product is under FDA review. Not available for sale. Future availability cannot be guaranteed.

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Blood TransfusionBlood Transfusion involves giving donor blood to a recipient patient. Screening is essential to avoid transfusion reactions. Blood banks use immunohematological techniques to determine rh and ABO blood group, and screen for antibodies using specific antisera. Blood Banks use Direct Coombs Tests (DCT) and Indirect Coombs Tests (IAT) to detect hemolysis and Haemolytic Disease of the Newborn (HDN).HematologyIn Haematology / Hematology, complete blood cell counts (or full blood counts) are obtained using automated blood count analyzers to enumerate blood cell types.  Hematology also encompasses haemostasis and coagulation, thrombophilia and hemophilia, plasma viscosity and ESR analysis, hemoglobinopathies, cell morphology and haematinic measurement.Clinical ChemistryBiochemistry (or clinical chemistry) involves the analysis of bodily fluids using chemical tests. Techniques used include HPLC, chromatography, spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, immunochemical, electrophoresis, turbidometric / spectrophotometric assay, MRI and ISE analysis. Tests are often carried out on plasma or serum but urine (urinalysis) and fecal specimens are also processed.RegulatoryPharmaceutical regulations impact on all areas of drug development, manufacture and control and supply. Services are provided from the early stages of drug development and clinical trials through to dossier submission, approval and marketing. Regulatory also includes submission of analytical studies from the pharmaceutical product and safety. Assay DevelopmentThe process of proving an assay to be sensitive with respect to the target is known as assay development. The assay should be able to characterize novel compounds and measure the potency of these compounds against a validated biological target.Molecular DiagnosticsMolecular diagnostics use an individual’s genetic code and gene expression to diagnose and monitor diseases. The technique is used increasingly in the field of infectious diseases and oncology, as well as areas such as coagulation, HLA typing and pharmacogenomics. Molecular diagnostics plays a pivotal role in personalized medicine.ManufacturingManufacturing is the production of merchandise for use or sale using labor and machines, tools, chemical and biological processing, or formulation.
Siemens Healthineers to Significantly Expand its Walpole, Mass. Laboratory Diagnostic Manufacturing Facility