Pharma manufacturer announces Albemarle County expansion

Pharmaceutical manufacturer Afton Scientific LLC will invest $500,000 to expand its Albemarle County operations, adding 20 jobs, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Monday.

The company will add 8,000 square feet to its 2020 Avon Court facility to “accommodate its 50% growth over the past year and expected similar growth in 2021,” according to a statement from Northam’s office.

“Thanks to innovative pharmaceutical companies like Afton Scientific, our commonwealth is quickly becoming a hub for cutting-edge technology and research,” Northam said in a statement. “The life sciences sector is more critical than ever as we prioritize the health of Virginians during the ongoing pandemic and work to rebuild our economy. We thank Afton Scientific for reinvesting in its operation in Albemarle County and are pleased to support the company’s next chapter of growth.”

Afton Scientific is an FDA-regulated contract manufacturer of small-batch sterile injectable drugs for clinical trials and commercial distribution, serving pharmaceutical companies and biotech firms. Its typical batch sizes are 100 to 15,000 vials and the new facility will be able to accommodate the production of 40,000 vials.

“Virginia offers Afton Scientific the strategic environment it needs to develop a highly trained workforce and provide well-paying pharmaceutical manufacturing jobs,” Afton Scientific CEO Thomas Thorpe said in a statement. “It’s nice to know that some of the drugs we manufacture are targeting such diseases as cystic fibrosis, breast cancer and primary immunodeficiency disease, or utilizing the latest in mRNA therapies and monoclonal antibodies.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Albemarle County to secure the project for Virginia. VEDP will also support jobs creation at the expanded plant through its Virginia Jobs Investment Program.

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