At Juno Therapeutics Inc.’s manufacturing facility in Bothell, Washington, only one out of 11 incubators was in action on a recent afternoon, gently rocking the soup of cells that are the drugmaker’s cancer-killing therapy, helping them to grow.
The rest of the cellular nurseries in the room, known as bioreactors, weren’t in use -- yet. Juno has invested more than $200 million a year in research and development and created manufacturing capacity far beyond its immediate needs because it’s focusing on the long-term goal of developing a best-in-class treatment, the company says.
Never mind that Juno’s first commercial product isn’t up for approval until the first half of 2018, probably after that of competitor Kite Pharma Inc.
