The laboratory space will be added to Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies (FDB) gene therapy manufacturing facility in Texas, US, and is expected to boost the company’s offering of process and analytical development services for gene therapies developers.
The establishment of the laboratory space, which will cost the company $55m (€49.65m), is part of a total investment of ¥13bn ($120m) made by Fujifilm Corporation, as part of the company’s effort to meet the growing demands of the market.
“We need to invest now, in technology, assets and people,” commented Martin Meeson, president and COO of FDB for the US, adding that the company is ‘very much aware’ of the gene therapy market’s ‘incredible’ growth.
The facility is expected to be operational in the fall of 2021 and will add approximately 100 jobs to the company’s College Station campus in Texas.
FDB’s 80,000-square-feet plant in Texas opened early last year, with the company looking to tap into the booming cell and gene therapies space, and provide clinical and commercial manufacturing capabilities for developers.
Earlier this year, Meeson told us that the increase of assets has led the company to establish new partnerships, with interest continuously rising, and mentioned that, at that point, the Texas facility was ‘easily expandable’ to help the company answer such demand.