Officials at Biogen say the company will building a new gene therapy manufacturing facility at its Research Triangle Park (RTP) manufacturing campuses in North Carolina to support its “growing gene therapy pipeline across multiple therapeutic areas.”
Biogen is pursuing multiple modalities with the aim of bringing life-saving medicines to those who suffer from serious neurological and neurodegenerative diseases, explains Nicole Murphy, senior vice president, global manufacturing and technical operations. With this new facility, Biogen is investing with the goal of ensuring reliable supply to patients worldwide, she adds. Gene therapy is an emerging therapeutic modality that may be suitable for a growing list of genetically validated targets in neuroscience.
“We plan to build differentiated, sustainable and advanced manufacturing capabilities to support our gene therapy programs and collaborations,” notes Murphy. “This additional investment underscores our commitment to RTP and our mission to deliver a reliable supply of high-quality medicines to the patients we serve. We are poised with a diverse workforce that is passionate about making a difference in the lives of patients and we look forward to welcoming new colleagues from the community to join us in that mission.”
Through the new facility, Biogen aims to continue its investment in North Carolina and expand its existing operations and combined workforce of approximately 1,900 employees at both campuses in RTP, continues Murphy, pointing out that the company anticipates that the new facility will create approximately 90 new jobs, with an estimated total investment of approximately $200 million.
The site will be 175,000 square feet and designed in compliance with the most advanced sustainability standards regarding energy use, waste management, and water consumption, according to a Biogen spokesperson.
