Bayer confirms $200m Berkeley cell therapy facility

The Cell Therapy Launch Facility will support Bayer’s growing advanced therapy ambitions and comes in addition to a $1.2 billion investment in the Californian campus.

Bayer has confirmed it is expanding its cell and gene capabilities through the addition of a Cell Therapy Launch Facility, which is set to join a Cell Culture Technology Center (CCTC) and Cell & Gene Therapy labs coming on-line later this year at its 46-acre campus in Berkeley, California.

“The Cell Therapy Launch Facility is about 98,000 sq feet in size representing an initial investment of more than $200 million in the building and the first of two cell therapy manufacturing modules,” Bayer spokeswoman Nuria Aiguabella Font told BioProcess Insider.

Bayer’s campus in Berkeley, CA. Image c/o Google

“The facility and first production module are expected to be complete, equipment validated and ready for production by mid-2023 to support advanced clinical trials of Bayer’s growing pipeline of cell therapy candidates. These production modules, like those in the CCTC, will support both advanced clinical trials and global commercial launches of multiple products.”

Bayer’s 46-acre campus in Berkeley, California is set to get bigger through a $1.2 billion investment over the next 30 years, currently under review. However, this cell and gene therapy facility is in addition to Bayer’s proposed master plan, we were told.

The four-story biosafety level 2 facility, referred to in its planning application as CCTC 2/3, will manufacture Phase II and III materials for Bayer.

“The Gene Therapy Module production space would be located on Floor 1 and the Cell Therapy Module production space would be located on Floor 3,” the application states. “Floors 2 and 4, as described in further detail below, will contain necessary mechanical and heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) equipment and infrastructure that is required for the activities within the production facility.”

Cell and gene ambitions

German pharma giant Bayer launched its cell and gene therapy business unit late last year to encompass its various deals in the space, including the $2 billion purchase of AskBio and the acquisition of BlueRock Therapeutics for $240 million.

The former brought Bayer an adeno-associated virus (AAV) manufacturing platform, clinical-stage candidates, and a contract manufacturing unit, while the latter added allogeneic cell therapy development.

“At Bayer, we are driven to provide life-changing therapies to patients, and we believe cell and gene therapies offer an unprecedented opportunity to transform healthcare,” Aiguabella Font said.

“We are building a robust Cell and Gene Therapy Platform with the goal to deeply impact the health of patients and to fuel our pipeline with sustainable, long-term innovation. Our aspiration is to become an industry champion in the area, and our increasing investments are a testament to the significance of cell and gene therapies as a growth-driver for our pharmaceuticals business.”