Global pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca is investing $100 million in expanding its Sydney manufacturing plant to help meet rising Chinese demand for an asthma medicine.
Three more production lines will be added to the North Ryde facility, chief executive Pascal Soriot has announced alongside Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in London.
The plant produces respiratory medicines - including Pulmicort Respules for asthma patients - and the new lines will increase the Sydney facility's exports to more than $2.4 billion over the coming four years, the London-headquartered company says.
AstraZeneca Australia's manufacturing director Mark Morgan says more than 90 per cent of the site's products go to China, where asthma affects about 30 million people and demand is rising.
"It is our biggest growing market," he said.
Mr Morgan said that while there is a trend for manufacturing businesses to relocate to lower labour-cost countries, the technology and skills at the North Ryde plant would be "difficult to replicate overseas".
The increase from the current eight production lines to 11 at the plant is expected to create another 60 jobs.
