AstraZeneca's expects full-cycle production at Russian plant in 2016/17

Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) has officially announced that its future Russian plant, which is currently under construction, will start production drugs on a full cycle in the 2016/17. Construction of the $150 million facility began in early 2011.

According to Gennady Pyatsky, director of production department at AstraZeneca Russia, currently the company continues active construction of its Russian plant, the first phase of which should be completed by 2013 and is expected to be comprised of packaging facilities and an engineering building. The construction of the second stage of the plant is scheduled for completion in 2014, and will be associated with the launch of a full production cycle.

Mr Pyatsky commented: “The project involves the launch of two sections of production, through the methods of pelletizing and direct compression. Production is expected to begin in the 2016-2017 year, as the procedure of of drugs’ registration in Russia is rather long.