MilliporeSigma is opening a second Carlsbad, CA-based facility that will more than double the company's existing capacity to support large-scale commercial and industrial manufacturing for viral gene therapy.

The $110 million, 140,000-sq-ft facility in Carlsbad -- the firm's second in the city -- will more than double MilliporeSigma's production capability for large-scale commercial and industrial manufacturing for viral gene therapy. This capacity increase will help its customers bring new gene therapies to markets for larger patient populations, the company said.

"We are continuing to invest in solving cell and gene therapy challenges in development and manufacturing, working alongside drug developers to industrialize, scale and accelerate the path to deliver therapies to patients," said Matthias Heinzel, CEO of Life Science at Merck KGaA, in a statement. MilliporeSigma is the U.S. and Canadian life sciences division of Merck KGaA.

There are 30 cleanroom suites between the two manufacturing facilities in Carlsbad, CA, to support all aspects of manufacturing, ranging from small- to large-scale clinical and commercial production, according to MilliporeSigma. The company noted that the new facility utilizes suspension technology that can produce viral vectors up to the 1,000-liter scale.