Lonza cuts ribbon on world’s largest cell and gene therapy facility

Lonza has opened the world’s largest dedicated cell and gene therapy manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas, US. The 300,000ft2, first-of-its-kind manufacturing facility is the largest dedicated cell and gene therapy manufacturing facility in the world.

It has been built in anticipation of the rising demand from developers of cell and gene therapies – which a Lonza press release stated was “the next era in medicine” – with the mission of enabling them to deliver these types of treatments more quickly and efficiently.

“Lonza Houston will serve as a centre of excellence for cell and gene therapy process development from concept through to pre-clinical, clinical and commercialisation, all the way to the patient,” said Andreas Weiler, business unit head for Emerging Technologies. “It will set a new standard in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and stand as one of four centres of excellence in cell and gene therapy in the only global network spanning three continents.”

The facility is already operational and manufacturing for several customers.