Astellas Pharma Inc. plans to create an integrated biotechnology campus in South San Francisco as its West Coast innovation and research center. The new 154,000-sq.-ft. building at 480 Forbes Boulevard will allow for the co-location of several Astellas business units and functions currently located independently throughout the San Francisco area.
 
The new innovation and research center will include research, technical operations, medical and development, commercial, and relevant administrative support functions. Astellas will invest approximately $70 million to create the new state-of-the-art facility, which will provide lab and co-working spaces to accommodate future growth as it advances a range of cell and gene therapies for rare diseases and cancer.
 
“By uniting our business units in the Bay Area, we are creating a dedicated West Coast center in the vibrant South San Francisco corridor alongside other leaders in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry,” said Yoshitsugu Shitaka, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at Astellas. “Similar to the Astellas Biomedical Innovation Hub located in the greater Boston area, this new facility will foster even greater levels of collaboration amongst our world-class, multi-disciplinary teams working in cell and gene therapies, development of business opportunities and all those who support our endeavors to create value for patients.”
 
The building is expected to be operational in summer 2023. Astellas equip the interior with state-of-the-art research labs, office spaces, and other amenities to accommodate the West Coast employees of Astellas Gene Therapies, Xyphos Biosciences, business development, Rx+® Business Accelerator, and the planned future growth within those units. The co-location of these businesses aims to allow for more efficient use of space by combining the lab and office facilities into one new building.