Gilead set to open $250m, 23-acre campus

The campus will initially focus on the manufacture of AmBisome, an antifungal medication that is used to combat fungal infections and a form of meningitis in people carrying HIV. As well as this, the campus will have the capacity to package, label and distribute other treatments owned by the company, including its hepatitis C treatments.

"Up to 14 million tablets will be packaged and up to 5 million AmBisome vials will be manufactured per year," company spokesman Michele Rest was reported as saying to San Gabriel Valley Tribune. "Employee numbers in La Verne will increase as we build to full commercial operation."

The majority of the campus is made up of one 320,000-square-foot building – that is actually made of five-interconnected buildings – but there is potential for further development in an 80,000-square-foot space.

The space will replace an existing manufacturing plant that is currently located in Sam Dimas. The two cities are direct neighbours, only three miles apart, meaning that current employees will not have to relocate to begin working at the new facility.

The new La Verne site will join two other California-based operations for the giant biotech, which also possesses operations in Oceanside and Fremont.

The ceremony to open the facility is expected to take place tomorrow and will be attended by CEO, John F. Milligan.