Genzyme has spent 25 years building its global infrastructure. With the opening of three European facilities in 2005, we are realizing the value of our recent investment of more than $500 million in our infrastructure for manufacturing and product development. This investment will allow us to develop new ideas and ensure sufficient production capacity for clinical trials and marketed products. Expansion, vertical integration, and process improvements have not only benefited patients, but they have also increased the company's gross margins significantly.
New facilities on line
Our new biomanufacturing plant in Geel, Belgium, is designed for the production of monoclonal antibody and protein therapies, and we anticipate completing clinical production runs of Campath in 2006. A second phase of construction will also allow us to meet the anticipated demand for Myozyme in Europe and elsewhere. Expansion of our plant in Waterford, Ireland, makes it our major European production and distribution center for a broad range of products from proteins and antibodies to polymers. We are conducting antibody research at our new discovery laboratory in Cambridge, England. This location will also serve as a key center of support for clinical trials in Europe, where we currently have more than 30 ongoing studies. Nearby at our Haverhill site, we opened a new technical center for synthetic molecule process development.
Next projects headed for completion
In 2007, we expect to complete environmentally responsible expansions of our research facilities in Massachusetts, where we have increased the capacity of our Allston Landing plant by 50 percent, creating the ability to produce three products there. Our commercial presence is also expanding, notably in China, Latin America, South Africa and central and eastern Europe, where growth has been particularly strong. We are well established in Japan with a portfolio of our key products.
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