Astellas advances protein degradation efforts with US expansion

The 62,000 square-foot facility will include SakuLab and Astella’s Engineered Small Molecules (ESM) unit which focuses on targeted protein degradation, a novel manufacturing approach aimed at removing specific proteins from cells. The expansion will create 400 jobs.

According to the firm, SakuLab is a shared laboratory space that enables the company and its customers to foster ideas through collaboration. Inspired by the Japanese word ‘saku,’ meaning ‘to bloom,’ the labs provide regional start-ups and emerging scientists with access to Astellas’ expertise.

“The Astellas Life Sciences Center in Cambridge will accelerate the company’s efforts to create an innovation network across the state connecting leading incubators, ambitious biotechnology start-ups, and academia to foster the discovery and development of potential breakthrough therapies in areas of significant medical need,” a spokesperson for Astellas told BioProcess Insider.

Astella’s lead program in TPD is ASP3082, which is the firm’s first targeted protein degrader for KRAS G12D set to enter the clinic. According to the spokesperson, the candidate has “the potential of becoming a first-in-class therapy for the treatment of solid tumors that harbor a KRAS G12D mutation.”

When Astellas announced the expansion in 2019, with an investment of $13 million, the facility housed laboratory space for start-up companies to conduct process development studies and a non-GMP pilot plant for cell and gene therapies (CGTs).

“Our immediate focus is integrating existing employees at the facility,” the spokesperson said. “[It] has been designed with room for future growth to support our expanding innovation work. This new facility in Cambridge expands our presence in Massachusetts, joining the Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine (AIRM) located in Westborough. AIRM is a 262,000 square-foot facility that combines research and manufacturing capabilities and serves as our global hub for pioneering the development of regenerative medicine and cell-based therapies.”