Life Sciences Companies Expand Their Footprints in the US and Canada
August has been busy with a flurry of life sciences expansion announcements, particularly in the United States and Canada. Here’s a look at a few companies increasing their presence in the two countries.
Last week, Germany-based Rentschler announced that it has broken ground at its new production site in the Greater Boston area. The 22,000 square-foot facility will expand cGMP manufacturing capacity, which will help accelerate clinical and commercial supply of essential biopharmaceuticals. The space will be adjacent to Rentschler’s existing site in Milford.
Moderna announced its plans to enter a Memorandum of Understanding with the Canadian government to construct a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. It will help provide direct access for Canadians to mRNA vaccines not only for COVID-19, but also future viral threats and respiratory viruses. At the time of its announcement, the company did not provide details about the location of the facility, or the number of job creations expected.
On August 11, Precision NanoSystems (PNI) announced it will expand its global headquarters with a 75,000 square-foot facility in Vancouver. PNI's new genetic medicine GMP Biomanufacturing Centre will also be housed at the site. It is expected to be completed in Q4 2022.
At the beginning of the month, global biotechnology company BeiGene announced its plans to build a new R&D and manufacturing campus in Hopewell, NJ. The company has entered a purchase agreement to acquire a 42-acre site to build a state-of-the-art facility. BeiGene expects hundreds of new hires to support the company’s commitment to producing life-saving oncology medicines.
Aro Biotherapeutics
Biotechnology company Aro Biotherapeutics announced its plan to expand its leadership team and move to a new headquarters in Philadelphia in order to drive its next phase of growth. In October, Aro will start to relocate to The Curtis in Center City Philadelphia. The company plans to complete its move early in 2022.
“We couldn’t be more pleased to be relocating to the historic Curtis building as we enter our next phase of growth,” said Susan Dillon, Ph.D., co-founder and chief executive officer of Aro Biotherapeutics. “The lab and office spaces will help us create a world-class facility, and along with the other building amenities and nearby attractions, The Curtis is ideal for Aro hiring and retaining the very best talent.”
Evotec SE
Last week, it was announced that Evotec’s Washington-based integrated biologics manufacturing facility has opened. The facility, which was completed in 19 months, is the final step in Just-Evotec Biologics’ J.DESIGN platform. The platform integrates data analytics and machine learning through discovery, development and manufacture of biologics.