As it scales back, Pfizer is strengthening its position in biologics. The company is investing EUR 190 million ($294 million) for a process-development and small-scale production facility for biologics in Shanbally, Ireland. The facility will be located on a 30-acre site adjacent to Pfizer's existing facility in Ringaskiddy. The facility is scheduled to be completed and fully commissioned by the end of 2009. The move complements Pfizer's creation of the Pfizer Biotherapeutics and Bioinnovation Center in late 2007. Based in San Francisco, the center oversees a consortium of units and collaborations with the academic, biomedical, biotechnology and venture-capital communities and collaborates with Pfizer Global Research and Development.

Table II: Top 50 pharmaceutical companies (Rankings 21–30)

To enhance its position in vaccines, Pfizer purchased Coley Pharmaceutical (Wellesley, MA) in early 2008. In 2008, it formed a pact with Avant Immunotherapies (Needham, MA) for an exclusive global license for "CDX-110," an experimental therapeutic vaccine, and exclusive rights to EGFRvIII vaccines. EGFRvIII is a functional variant of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a protein validated as an anticancer target. Also, in 2007, Pfizer acquired BioRexis Pharmaceutical (King of Prussia, PA). The company has developed drug candidates to treat diabetes and technology that uses serum protein transferrin as a scaffold for developing improved versions of peptides, proteins, and antibody-like molecules.

In March 2008, GSK opened a SGD 115-million ($84-million) pilot plant in Singapore. GSK is also building a SGD 300-million ($219-million) vaccine-manufacturing plant in Singapore, which is scheduled to be operational in 2010. GSK is investing more than EUR 500 million ($774 million) in its St-Amand-Les-Eaux, France, vaccine-manufacturing plant to increase formulation, filling, freeze-drying, and packaging production. The facility is expected to be operational in 2011. In 2007, GSK announced an investment of EUR 250 million ($387 million) over five years in its production site in Currabinny, Ireland, to manufacture products such as lapatinib, the active ingredient in 'Tykerb." GKS is also investing EUR 30 million ($47 million) to expand an over-the-counter manufacturing facility in Dungarvan, Ireland, and recently completed a EUR 23 million ($36 million) granulation and compression facility.