Toa Baja:Taipei Taiwan-based biopharmaceutical company PharmaEssentia Corp. is expanding its global manufacturing and commercial capabilities with plans to establish a $46 million production facility in Puerto Rico. The new plant, located in Toa Baja, is expected to commence operations in 2027, subject to regulatory approvals. This move is part of the company's strategy to support the international growth of its blood cancer drug, ropeginterferon alfa-2b, known as Ropeg.
According to Focus Taiwan, PharmaEssentia aims to strengthen its supply chain resilience and diversify production risks by expanding its manufacturing capacity outside Taiwan. The company intends to train local staff in Taiwan as part of the technology transfer process to ensure the new facility meets the quality standards of its existing manufacturing plant in Taichung.
PharmaEssentia also recently acquired Canadian pharmaceutical company FORUS Therapeutics Inc. for $36.5 million. This acquisition allows PharmaEssentia to integrate teams and resources, expanding its presence in Canada and building a broader North American operating platform.
Ropeg, marketed under the brand name BESREMi, has been approved for treating polycythemia vera (PV) in the European Union, the United States, and Japan. It is now approved in about 50 countries for PV treatment. The drug was also recently approved for adult essential thrombocythemia (ET) patients in Taiwan, Japan, and the United States.
The company is conducting a global Phase 3 clinical trial, HOPE-PMF, to evaluate Ropeg as a treatment for primary myelofibrosis (PMF), another rare blood cancer. PharmaEssentia is expanding its myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) portfolio to provide more accessible treatment options for patients worldwide.
