Novartis today held a groundbreaking ceremony to announce the start of construction of a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in St. Petersburg, Russia. The construction of this facility represents the most significant Novartis investment in Russia to date. This facility will further expand the company's capabilities to produce and deliver both innovative pharmaceuticals and high-quality generics to Russian patients. The new greenfield facility will be built in the Novoorlovskaya Special Economic Zone (SEZ), located to the north of the St. Petersburg city center. Once completed and approved for commercial production, which is expected in 2014, the state of-the-art facility will use cutting-edge technologies to produce approximately 1.5 billion units per year. It will also be an attractive workplace for local talent, employing more than 350 highly qualified professionals who will have access to world-class training and development programs at Novartis.
