AstraZeneca plans expansion for Coppell facility

Coppell Planning and Zoning Commission approved pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca’s expansion request for City Council review Aug. 17.

The background

AstraZeneca’s Coppell location at 508 Wrangler Drive is a single-product site that manufactures Lokelma, a prescription medicine used to treat adults with hyperkalemia, a condition that occurs when potassium levels in the blood are too high. The company requested an expansion of the facility to meet an increased demand for the medication, per the commission’s agenda. The commission approved the application with a 5-0 vote. Commissioner Cindy Bishop recused herself.

The details

Patients with chronic kidney disease, which affects about 200 million people worldwide, are at a higher risk for hyperkalemia. The Lokelma demand is forecasted to more than double by 2026, and the site's six manufacturing lines are at 100% capacity under the current demand, according to an AstraZeneca letter included in the agenda.

The expansion would add two manufacturing lines, the associated utilities and a separate material storage building, allowing AstraZeneca to meet Lokelma production needs.

What’s next

Coppell City Council will review the site plan at an upcoming meeting Sept. 12.