Pharmaceutical firm to expand in North Charleston

A North Carolina pharmaceutical business is expanding and adding a second shift at its North Charleston operations.

AAIPharma Services Corp. announced the investment in its facility off Leeds Avenue today. It also said it is adding onto its Wilmington, N.C., laboratory and technology center.

The company said it will expand its local lab and manufacturing capacity in early 2012. The facility will also go to a two-shift operation “to better accommodate customer needs and overall demand,” AAIPharma said in a statement.

The company did not say how many jobs it is adding or disclose other details of the North Charleston expansion.

Based in Wilmington, AAIPharma is an outsourcing firm that works with pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms as they test and develop new drugs.

“We are building a new world class technology center in Wilmington and expanding our Charleston manufacturing facility to increase capacity and efficiency,” said CEO Patrick Walsh. “Echoing a recent survey by ContractPharma, which states that 79 percent of pharmaceutical and biotech companies are expected to maintain or increase their level of outsourcing, we continue to see growth for a range of contract services in the pharmaceutical drug development industry and believe AAIPharma is well-positioned to continue growing and increasing its market share.”