FREDERICK, Md. (AP) -- MedImmune says it will share its manufacturing space in Frederick with pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co.

MedImmune said Wednesday the companies have reached a 15-year deal allowing Merck to use its 385,000-square-foot plant for bulk product manufacturing.

MedImmune says it's also looking at Merck's facilities for possible production of microbial-based compounds MedImmune is developing.

MedImmune says it's not unusual in the biopharmaceutical industry for companies to share manufacturing capacity.

MedImmune is a Gaithersburg-based subsidiary of London-based AstraZeneca PLC.

Merck is based in Whitehouse Station, N.J.

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