The Center for Breakthrough Medicines (CBM) and the University of Pennsylvania’s Gene Therapy Program (GTP) have signed a landmark collaboration agreement, to combine Penn’s knowledge and expertise in the development of gene therapies with CBM’s manufacturing capacity and singular focus on advanced therapies.
In 2021, Philadelphia continued to prove why it’s an up-and-coming life sciences and biotech cluster. Current reports state the city received $1.23 billion in National Institute of Health (NIH) funding in 2021 — and that number is expected to be bigger once finalized, said Lauren Gilchrist, Managing Director of Research at Longfellow Real Estate Partners.
NeuExcell Therapeutics, Inc., a preclinical gene therapy company focusing on improving the lives of patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases, today announced the signing of a lease with The Discovery Labs in King of Prussia, PA. This lease sets the stage for NeuExcell to establish their long-term corporate headquarters in the heart of Philadelphia’s Cellicon Valley region and enables the company to build a world-class team tapping into the veteran cell and gene therapy talent in Greater Philadelphia.
The Amicus facility encompasses 75,000 square feet of the top three floors of a new building located on Market Street in Philadelphia. The space includes office space, as well as state-of-the-art laboratories. It’s expected to provide space for approximately 200 researchers and drug developers focused exclusively on gene therapies.
With a goal of expanding manufacturing capabilities to meet the growing demands of cell and gene therapy production, The Center for Breakthrough Medicines (CBM) promoted Chief Operating Officer Joerg Ahlgrimm to the role of Chief Executive Officer. Ahlgrimm joined CBM last year after serving as Head of Global Operations Pharma Biotech and Nutrition at Lonza. CBM, located within the Discovery Labs campus in suburban Philadelphia, is a quickly growing contract development and manufacturing organization that aims to provide pre-clinical through commercial manufacturing capabilities for client companies. CBM’s offerings include process development, plasmid DNA, viral vectors, cell banking, cell processing, and supporting testing capabilities.
Discovery Labs suburban Philadelphia campus gained a new tenant, the University of Pennsylvania Gene Therapy Program (GTP), which focuses on the development of AAV-based gene therapies for rare and orphan genetic diseases with high unmet needs.
The Center for Breakthrough Medicines at Discovery Labs, an ecosystem accelerating the path to commercialization for cell and gene therapy companies, has appointed Matthew Snyder to the role of Associate Director, Engineering & Facilities. Mr. Snyder will be responsible for establishing the critical support services necessary for laboratory and manufacturing operations. These include setup of a comprehensive safety program; implementation of equipment tracking and maintenance and calibration management systems; interface coordination between site infrastructure utilities, building monitoring and process control systems; and technical engineering support for process operations and facility design.