BRIEF — New center is world's largest dedicated cell and gene manufacturing unit, says Lonza

Swiss pharmaceutical and biotech ingredient supplier Lonza (VTX: LONN) is showing plenty of faith in what it calls the ‘next era in medicine’.

The company has opened the world’s largest dedicated cell-and-gene-therapy facility in Houston, Texas, a unit where 200 people will be employed by the end of the year.

Andreas Weiler, business unit head for emerging technologies at Lonza Pharma & Biotech, said: “Lonza Houston will serve as a center of excellence for cell-and-gene-therapy process development from concept through pre-clinical, clinical and commercialization, all the way to the patient.

“This facility has the potential to produce treatment for thousands of patients suffering from rare genetic disorders or life-threatening diseases, under one roof. It will set a new standard in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and stand as one of four centers of excellence in cell and gene therapy in the only global network spanning three continents."