Work progressing on 1,200m2 of office and lab space at Guy’s Hospital, London
London, UK: The Cell Therapy Catapult, which is focused on the development of the UK cell therapy industry to increase the nation’s health and wealth, is pleased to announce that fit-out of its £7.5m state-of-the-art new facilities at Guy’s Hospital, London, is well underway. Working in conjunction with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust on the refurbishment of the 12th floor of Guy’s Tower Wing, it expects the 1,200m2of office and laboratory space1 to be operational in January 2014. The premises will be part of the tallest hospital building in the world.
The new facilities will have GMP-proving laboratories providing an important intermediate step between early-stage research and large-scale production for clinical trial and commercial supply. The latest equipment is being installed, enabling the development of scaled-up processes to grow, prepare and test cells for delivery to patients effectively. The adjoining office and networking space will comprise small and large meeting rooms, open plan/hot desking and videoconferencing facilities, as well as a cafe. In addition, there will be a viewing area connecting the laboratories and offices, encouraging interaction and visits. The facility concept and outline layout was prepared by eXmoor pharma concepts, and working with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and Essentia, the project is being managed by Gleeds Management Services with refurbishment and fit-out by ISG plc.
The Cell Therapy Catapult currently occupies temporary office and laboratory space within the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London. Easy access to research technologies such as genomics and a clinical research facility complements the facilities and services provided by the Cell Therapy Catapult, which also benefits from being part of the rich academic and clinical network in the UK.
Keith Thompson, CEO of the Cell Therapy Catapult, said: ‘The Cell Therapy Catapult is committed to making our new premises an inspiring place to work, facilitating innovative research and collaboration. We are planning a high-profile launch at the beginning of 2014, showing the expertise and technology we are installing. None of this would be possible without the Technology Strategy Board and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, and we thank them for their input and support.’