WuXi AppTec enjoys building: Back at the start of 2016, it announced it was to erect a $120 million "biologics solution center" in Shanghai and as we draw nearer to the end of the year, it has opened a new 150,000-square-foot biomanufacturing facility at the Philadelphia Navy Yard that will help produce the next gen class of cancer meds.
This site, its third facility in the region, was this week officially opened by Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Mike Stack and WuXi AppTec chairman and CEO Dr. Ge Li.
This facility will focus on the new cancer class craze known as CAR-T and will allow for the “expansion of viral vector manufacturing to support gene therapy clinical and commercial programs,” according to the co, as well as 2,000L single-use bioreactors.
The new facility will add to WuXi's existing 20,000-square-foot cGMP cell therapy manufacturing facility, as well as a 50,000-square-foot facility for the commercial manufacturing of allogeneic and autologous cell-based therapeutics. When fully configured, the facility is set to take on an extra 200 staffers.
Dr. Ge Li said: “Advanced therapies like CAR-T-cells and gene therapy vectors offer significant new therapeutic options for cancer patients and those suffering from crippling genetic diseases. We are pleased to be at the forefront of this field, providing our partners with cutting-edge cGMP manufacturing capabilities and capacities.”
Felix Hsu, SVP of WuXi AppTec's U.S. business unit, said: “We are proud to be an integral part of the biotech hub in the Navy Yard and an important center for the manufacturing of cell and gene therapies here in Philadelphia. With the capacity and capabilities we now have available, we can provide the integrated clinical and commercial manufacturing solutions needed by our cell and gene therapy customers.”