Agreement enhances GSK’s investment in cell and gene therapy manufacturing in the UK for clinical trials and brings additional expertise to the collaborators already based at the CGT Catapult facility in Stevenage.
Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGT Catapult) announce today that GSK will leverage the CGT Catapult Stevenage facility to perform GMP cell processing to accelerate its cell and gene therapy pipeline for clinical trials. Through this agreement, GSK will improve its GMP cell processing network to advance its early stage pipeline and streamline technical transfer. This decision further highlights the opportunity offered by the UK CGT ecosystem, and by the unique CGT Catapult model, in accelerating the setup of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMP) manufacturing at scale.
The UK has more than 90 ATMP therapy developers and in 2020 has seen an increase of 48% in the UK GMP manufacturing space for cell and gene therapies. This increase also reflected the expansion of the CGT Catapult facility in Stevenage with six additional cleanrooms which enabled this new agreement.
Today’s announcement is another significant and successful step in the growth of cell and gene therapy activities in Stevenage and the UK as a whole. Building on the expertise already in place with current collaborators, the additive experience of GSK will allow for the development of new capabilities to benefit future and current collaborators, already present and progressing their manufacturing onsite.
Tony Wood, Senior Vice President, Medicinal Science and Technology of GSK commented:
The UK already has significant capabilities in cell and gene therapy, and this agreement illustrates how strategic investments by GSK can make them even stronger. Working more closely with CGT Catapult will help us advance our promising cell and gene therapy programmes, and bring these transformative medicines more quickly to the patients who desperately need them.
Matthew Durdy, Chief Executive Officer of Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult commented:
The move by a leading pharmaceutical company like GSK to establish ATMP manufacturing capabilities at the CGT Catapult facility in Stevenage highlights the UK’s globally leading position for large and smaller organisations alike to develop, manufacture and deliver cell and gene therapies. With a range of collaborators already based in the facility, we look forward to participating in the collective innovation onsite to pioneer the growth in scale of advanced therapy manufacturing.
About the European Regional Development Fund
The expansion of the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult facility in Stevenage has received £3.36m in funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding.
About the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund
The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult facility in Stevenage has received £12m in funding from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, part of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy. The Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund is a four-year, £1 billion investment in cutting-edge technology designed to create jobs and improve living standards, built on guidance from business and the academic community. Healthcare and Medicine is one of three core areas for investment under the programme.