ElevateBio and the University of Pittsburgh have entered into a long-term partnership to accelerate the development of cell and gene therapies. Through this agreement, ElevateBio will locate one of its next BaseCamp process development and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) manufacturing facilities in Pittsburgh, PA, fully equipped with its enabling technologies, including gene editing, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) and cell, vector and protein engineering capabilities.

The Richard King Mellon Foundation announced a $100 million grant to the University of Pittsburgh in November 2021 to create the Pitt BioForge BioManufacturing Center at Hazelwood Green. The grant was the largest single-project grant in the Foundation’s 75-year history. The University of Pittsburgh and ElevateBio BaseCamp intend to locate the new technology-enabled process development and GMP manufacturing facility at Pitt BioForge at Hazelwood Green to further innovation in the Pittsburgh region. The new facility is expected to generate more than 170 permanent full-time jobs, 900 construction jobs and 360 off-site support jobs.

“This announcement supports the region’s rise as a leader in cell and gene therapy and advances our vision of bringing an entirely new commercial manufacturing sector to the area,” said Patrick Gallagher, Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh. “The University of Pittsburgh is proud to partner with ElevateBio in this work, which will see us leveraging lessons from the lab—in new and exciting ways—for the benefit of human health.”

David Hallal, CEO of ElevateBio, said, “To realize our vision of transforming the cell and gene therapy field for decades to come, broadening our footprint across metropolitan areas is a key priority for us, and we are thrilled that the University of Pittsburgh will be home to one of our BaseCamp facilities. We’ve identified Pittsburgh as an ideal location to extend our BaseCamp presence as it sits at the intersection of science, technology, and talent. We are grateful for the support of the Governor and County Executive as we bring the first-of-its-kind offering we have built at ElevateBio BaseCamp to advance the work of the entire biopharmaceutical industry.”

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the County of Allegheny have provided incentive grants to ElevateBio in support of this partnership to build a biomanufacturing center and establish Pittsburgh as a premier biomanufacturing destination.