VectorBuilder to Expand with $500 Million Gene Delivery Research and Manufacturing Campus

VectorBuilder, a global gene delivery solutions company, announced on April 11, 2022 the construction of a new $500 million R&D and manufacturing center in Guangzhou, China. The ‘Gene Delivery Research and Manufacturing Campus’ will aid in the growth of the company, expanding its R&D capabilities and production capacity for various gene delivery vectors.

The campus will include a state-of-the-art contract development and manufacturing organization facility designed for current good manufacturing practice manufacturing of plasmids, messenger RNA (mRNA), AAV, lentivirus, cell lines, and other types of viral and non-viral vectors. The campus will also house a research institution dedicated to developing new gene delivery techniques, vector-based vaccines, virus-based cancer therapeutics, and training for scientists and engineers joining the gene delivery field.

Construction of the campus will be split into two phases over the next four years with an expected cost of $500 million and 100,000m2 of floor space. The project is part of a global expansion of the company, which is also planning new manufacturing sites in the United States, Europe, and Japan.

“Modern biology is largely built on gene delivery technologies, but until recently, such technologies are mostly limited to research use,” said Dr. Bruce Lahn, chief scientist at VectorBuilder, in a press release. “With the recent advancement of genetic medicine, gene vectors are now rapidly moving into clinical use, including CAR-T, gene therapy, mRNA vaccines, and oncolytic viruses. Some experts predict that in 10 to 20 years, vector-based drugs will become the third pillar of medicine, after small-molecule drugs and protein-based biologics. We are therefore expanding our R&D capabilities, as well as our manufacturing capacity, to continue leading the way in the development of innovative gene delivery technologies that will make research more efficient, and genetic medicine more effective and affordable.”

Source: VectorBuilder