AstraZeneca doubles Lokelma production at its Texas facility

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AstraZeneca has doubled production capacity for its hyperkalaemia treatment Lokelma (sodium zirconium cyclosilicate) after completing a $445 million expansion of its manufacturing facility at Coppell in Texas.

The pharma company added a new 9,000 square foot building and two novel manufacturing lines at the site, which is Lokelma’s sole global manufacturing facility.

Available as powder sachets, Lokelma was first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) in 2018.

The oral potassium-removing agent has been earmarked as a potential blockbuster for AstraZeneca and saw its sales increase 32 percent to $542 million in 2024.

To further support Lokelma’s production, AstraZeneca also upgraded its Coppell facility’s drug substance and drug product laboratory testing, warehousing, additional manufacturing utilities and administrative space.

Jim Fox, Senior Vice President, Americas Supply Operations at AstraZeneca, said: “Our manufacturing facility in Coppell serves as both a critical pillar in global healthcare and has played an important role in supporting the local workforce over the past 10 years. The expansion underscores our commitment to patients and support for Texas’ long-term vision for scientific growth and innovation.”

AstraZeneca currently employs more than 250 people at the newly expanded Coppell facility, whose opening follows the announcement last week that it would be increasing the scope of a site in Virginia.

The company will put a further $500 million into that project, taking the total investment to $4.5 billion as it adds active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for cancer drugs to the site’s remit.