New York, Buffalo- based biopharmaceutical company Athenex Inc, has started its construction for its $200 million manufacturing facility in Dunkirk New York, US.

The global biopharmaceutical company revealed its proposal for the new facility two years back when it signed its agreement with German-based construction engineering company M+W, the plant is expected to be 320,000 square feet. The factory will employee about 900 people, which is scheduled to operate in full- fledge by the first half of 2020.

Teresa Bair, an Athenex vice president, said the plant constructions are anticipated to begin after this summer with the roof covering, by the fourth quarter this year the company is planning to complete exterior and glass work and the land clearing at the location started recently.

The biotech company, which was started in 2002 as Kinex, now Athenex Inc., caters to oncology drugs for which company has said they have about six major clinical-stage candidate compounds.

The company is also working with the Chongqing of China municipal authorities for the construction of a duo of drug manufacturing plants at Banan where Athenex can manufacture high-potency oncology active pharmaceutical ingredients.