CGT Catapult’s cell and gene therapy manufacturing center has been officially opened by the Business Secretary Greg Clark and Science Minister Sam Gyimah.
Backed by over £60 million of UK Government investment from its Industrial Strategy, the center will support and develop the rapidly growing global cell and gene therapy industry in the United Kingdom whilst demonstrating the government’s modern Industrial Strategy in action.
The Stevenage-based center, operating to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards for clinical product manufacturing, will provide the global Advanced Therapeutics industry with the infrastructure to develop manufacturing capability and systems for large-scale cell and gene therapy clinical studies, and accelerate commercialization.
The center will also supply the network of world-first, UK-based Advanced Therapies Treatment Centers (ATTCs) formed as part of the government’s investment of £146 million through its Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund in medicines manufacturing. By providing access to the expertise, skills, facilities and equipment needed to help organizations develop new, sophisticated technologies and systems for large-scale manufacturing, the new center can help accelerate a company’s growth.
Cell and gene therapies offer treatments which repair, replace, regenerate and re-engineer genes, cells and tissues to restore normal function or enhance their ability to fight diseases. By enabling collaborators at the center to turn their cell and gene therapy innovations into commercially viable new medicines, the CGT Catapult is supporting the routine delivery of these therapies to hospitals, clinics and patients globally.