PCI Pharma Services (PCI), a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), opened its Clinical Services Center of Excellence in Bridgewater, MA, the first facility of its kind to support the growing needs of global developers of biologics in the New England region. The new facility will provide increased flexibility and scalability for secondary packaging, distribution and cold chain storage of innovative therapies in development.

“As the northeast biopharma market continues to grow, we are bringing distinctive clinical supply capabilities to the backyard of product development, creating a personalized and responsive approach to evolving client needs,” said Salim Haffar, CEO, PCI Pharma Services. “This newest facility follows our growth in facilities in Berlin, Germany, and Rockford, Illinois, and will create significant local job growth potential.”

To keep pace with the growth in biologics and gene therapies, which require cold chain infrastructure including deep freeze, the new facility has a capacity for a -20°C freezer, 35 ultra-low temperature freezers at -80°C and 12 liquid nitrogen freezers. The Center of Excellence also features a temperature-controlled room containing a 5,000 square foot cooler at 2° to 8°C, each with five levels of warehouse racking. A 1000-square-foot cold secondary packaging room will eventually be converted to primary packaging with the planned construction of an additional secondary packing unit.

“Boston is a booming biotech market with hundreds of local organizations developing new compounds in the biologics space,” said Craig LaMarca, general manager of Boston clinical trial services, PCI Pharma Services. “The facility features leading technologies and capabilities, making it a crucial component to help our clients deliver life-saving therapies to patients safely and efficiently.”

PCI currently occupies 50,000 square feet of the new 100,000 square foot building, with the remaining space available for lease. The campus was constructed to reflect Environmental Social Governance (ESG) and sustainability efforts. These features include a complex stormwater runoff system with a series of ponds that filter the water before it leaves the site, an underground oil and sedimentation separation tank, electric vehicle chargers and the exclusive use of LED lighting throughout the building.

The opening of the New England Center of Excellence marks the latest in a series of worldwide expansions for PCI including six sites across three continents, including Bedford, New Hampshire; Berlin, Germany; San Diego, California; Rockford, Illinois; and Melbourne, Australia. In February 2022, PCI sites in San Diego and Melbourne added innovative equipment with aseptic fill-finish capabilities to enhance PCI’s global offerings and deliver much-needed capacity to early-phase clinical clients.