Dayton, Franken hail biotech firm for expansion plans

A Florida-based biotechnology company has announced plans to expand its manufacturing operations in Minnesota.

Biovest International is adding on to its existing Coon Rapids facility to begin producing a cancer vaccine for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Gov. Mark Dayton and U.S. Sen. Al Franken praised the company Thursday during an event at the State Capitol.

Biovest President Samuel Duffey said the expansion will initially add more than a dozen new jobs.

"As this growth opportunity matures, as we're confident that it will, we anticipate the potential to hire many hundreds, many hundreds of employees to man this vaccine production facility," Duffey said.

Biovest received loans from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and the city of Coon Rapids for the expansion project.