NeoStem, Inc., an international biopharmaceutical company with operations in the U.S. and China, announced that its Suzhou Erye pharmaceutical subsidiary ("Erye") passed the government inspection by the State Food and Drug Administration ("SFDA") in China to manufacture penicillin powder for injection and cephalosporin powder for injection at its new manufacturing facility which provides 50% greater manufacturing capacity than its existing plant. These two production lines produced the materials for over 70% of Erye's product sales in 2009. Coupled with the approval of the lines earlier in 2010 for solvent crystallization sterile penicillin and freeze dried raw sterile penicillin, Erye will be able to relocate over 90% of its 2009 sales to the new facility, placing the process well ahead of the original 2011 goal.
NeoStem's Chairman and CEO, Robin Smith, commented, "Erye's relocation to the new facility is ahead of schedule and we are extremely excited about the increased manufacturing capabilities it will provide. Once fully certified and operational, these production lines will bring Erye another step closer to its goal of becoming one of the largest antibiotic producers in Eastern China."