Novartis’ generics arm Sandoz will plug another 50 million euros (about $49.92 million) into its European production in a bid to boost capacity for finished dose form penicillins. In total, the company has planned more than 250 million euros of investments in its continental antibiotics network, Sandoz said in a release.

As for the latest project, Sandoz is constructing a new three-floor building connected to its existing penicillin production facility in Kundl, adding 1,875 square metres (about 20,182 square feet) of real estate. The new plant, which Sandoz expects to have up and running by early 2024, will focus on the bulk formulation and fill-finish for penicillins poised for global distribution.

The Novartis unit plans to deploy automation, state-of-the-art technology and simplified processing at the site, boosting both capacity and supply resilience.

Novartis has been upgrading in Austria for the past three years straight. In the summer of 2020, Sandoz and the Austrian government said they would lay out 150 million euros ($176 million) over the next five years to improve antibiotics manufacturing at Kundl.