Biogen Announces Plans to Build a New, State-of-the-Art Gene Therapy Manufacturing Facility in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
- The innovative and scalable gene therapy manufacturing facility will support Biogen’s plan to advance its gene therapy portfolio
- The new facility is expected to employ approximately 90 people and to be operational by 2023
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (Nasdaq: BIIB) today announced its plans to build 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.
As pioneers in neuroscience, Biogen is pursuing multiple modalities with the aim of bringing life-saving medicines to those who suffer from serious neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. With this new facility, Biogen is investing in robust and scalable gene therapy manufacturing with the goal of ensuring reliable supply to patients worldwide. 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,” said Nicole Murphy, Senior Vice President, Global Manufacturing and Technical Operations. “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. Biogen anticipates that the new facility will create approximately 90 new jobs, with an estimated total investment of approximately $200 million. Biogen selected RTP for this new facility given the region’s diverse pool of talent and the company’s 26-year track record of attracting highly qualified and passionate employees in North Carolina. Biogen’s priority is to continue to foster and enable a diverse and inclusive workforce – representing age, gender, sexual identity, race, ethnicity, Veterans, and people with disabilities – that reflects the communities where we operate and the patients who we serve.
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.
About Biogen
At Biogen, our mission is clear: we are pioneers in neuroscience. Biogen discovers, develops and delivers worldwide innovative therapies for people living with serious neurological and neurodegenerative diseases as well as related therapeutic adjacencies. One of the world’s first global biotechnology companies, Biogen was founded in 1978 by Charles Weissmann, Heinz Schaller, Kenneth Murray and Nobel Prize winners Walter Gilbert and Phillip Sharp. Today Biogen has the leading portfolio of medicines to treat multiple sclerosis, has introduced the first approved treatment for spinal muscular atrophy, commercializes biosimilars of advanced biologics and is focused on advancing research programs in multiple sclerosis and neuroimmunology, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, neuromuscular disorders, movement disorders, ophthalmology, neuropsychiatry, immunology, acute neurology and neuropathic pain.
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Biogen Safe Harbor
This news release contains forward-looking statements, including statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, relating to our plans to build a new gene therapy manufacturing facility and the timing thereof; our expectations regarding our multi-year investment in a new gene therapy manufacturing facility; the anticipated benefits and potential of a new gene therapy manufacturing facility; potential of, and expectations for, our pipeline programs; our strategy and plans; our capital allocation and investment strategy; and risks and uncertainties associated with drug development and commercialization. These forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “goal,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “will,” “would” and other words and terms of similar meaning. You should not place undue reliance on these statements.
These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such statements, including, without limitation, risks that the construction of a new gene therapy manufacturing facility will be completed in a timely manner or at all; uncertainty as to whether the anticipated benefits of a new gene therapy manufacturing facility can be achieved; the possibility that conditions to the completion of the gene therapy manufacturing facility will not be satisfied; risks of unexpected hurdles, costs or delays; failure to obtain regulatory approvals; risks relating to investment in our manufacturing capacity; problems with our manufacturing processes; and the direct and indirect impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on our business, results of operations and financial condition. The foregoing sets forth many, but not all, of the factors that could cause actual results to differ from our expectations in any forward-looking statement. Investors should consider this cautionary statement as well as the risk factors identified in our most recent annual or quarterly report and in other reports we have filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations and speak only as of the date of this news release. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
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