Jaguar Gene Therapy, a company accelerating breakthroughs in gene therapy for patient populations suffering from severe genetic diseases, has announced plans for a commercial manufacturing facility in Durham, North Carolina.
 
The 174,000-square-foot facility is located approximately 20 miles from Jaguar’s existing Process Sciences Laboratory in Cary, expanding the company’s North Carolina presence. The facility, once fully converted to Jaguar’s gene therapy manufacturing specifications, will support future clinical and commercial production of the company’s initial programs including: galactosemia; a specific genetic cause of autism; and Type 1 diabetes.
 
Jaguar is expected to create at least 200 jobs over the next several years as part of this expansion. The company will continue existing contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) partnerships and consider adding to their third-party network as needed to ensure dual sourcing and uninterrupted supply.
 
“We believe there is significant value in owning the capability to manufacture multiple gene therapies from process development to commercial GMP scale,” said Joe Nolan, CEO of Jaguar Gene Therapy. “This strategic investment will leverage the team’s proven CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls) expertise and may enable Jaguar to potentially accelerate development timelines and bring our therapies to patients and families as safely and as rapidly as possible.”
 
At the commercial manufacturing facility in North Carolina, Jaguar plans to use the latest technologies and purification techniques to increase product yields while reducing product impurities. The team’s experience in developing a scalable and commercially viable manufacturing process at the outset has guided the company’s approach to invest early and often in manufacturing. In doing so, the company aims to be on the leading edge of producing the purest and most potent gene therapy products.
 
“This new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, which will be augmented by our CDMO partnerships, will allow us to fully harness our team’s unparalleled CMC expertise as we aim to elevate the manufacturing of gene therapies,” said Andrew Knudten, M.S., MBA, chief operating officer of Jaguar Gene Therapy. “Patient safety is our top priority, and this facility will give us greater control of the manufacturing process to better ensure the highest purity level of our products.”
 
Jaguar will receive more than $7 million in state and local incentives as it expands into North Carolina, including a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) that will provide more than $2 million in funding over 12 years. North Carolina Biotechnology Center will provide a $100,000 partnership development grant, awarded over three years based on job creation. Jaguar will also receive approximately $5 million in incentives from additional state and local organizations. The company will invest more than $125 million in the new commercial manufacturing facility.
 
Jaguar’s new manufacturing facility is owned and operated by Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.
 
“North Carolina’s diverse life sciences presence continues to attract innovative biopharmaceutical companies,” said governor Cooper. “Jaguar’s expansion into biomanufacturing in Research Triangle Park, together with its process sciences laboratory in Cary, reinforces North Carolina’s reputation as a premier location for these companies.”