WuXi AppTec has opened its new 150,000-sq.-ft. biomanufacturing facility in Philadelphia, PA that could eventually employ an additional 200 manufacturing and support staff.

This facility is designed for cell therapy products that use viral vectors, such as chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T cell) therapies, and will allow expansion of viral vector manufacturing to support gene therapy clinical and commercial programs and large scale production in 2,000L single-use bioreactors.

The new facility will supplement WuXi’s existing 20,000-sq.-ft. cGMP cell therapy manufacturing facility, as well as a 50,000-sq.-ft. facility for the commercial manufacture of allogeneic and autologous cell-based therapeutics.

“Advanced therapies like CAR T-cells and gene therapy vectors offer significant new therapeutic options for cancer patients and those suffering from crippling genetic diseases.  We are pleased to be at the forefront of this field, providing our partners with cutting-edge cGMP manufacturing capabilities and capacities,” said Dr. Ge Li, chairman and chief executive officer of WuXi AppTec.

“We are proud to be an integral part of the biotech hub in the Navy Yard and an important center for the manufacturing of cell and gene therapies here in Philadelphia. With the capacity and capabilities we now have available, we can provide the integrated clinical and commercial manufacturing solutions needed by our cell and gene therapy customers,” said Felix Hsu, senior vice president of WuXi AppTec’s U.S. Business Unit.