M+W Group to build £55 million large-scale GMP manufacturing centre

The Cell Therapy Catapult has appointed M+W Group to construct its £55 million large-scale GMP manufacturing centre in Stevenage, UK.

M+W Group, whose UK headquarters are in Chippenham, Wiltshire, UK has been appointed following a comprehensive Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) compliant tendering process. Planning permission was granted by Stevenage Borough Council on 18 August 2015.

The manufacturing centre is scheduled to open in 2017 and will be managed by the Cell Therapy Catapult. It will be used to manufacture products for late phase clinical trials and commercial supply of advanced therapeutic medicinal products, including cell and gene therapies.

The facility is expected to create up to 150 jobs and its position on the Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst campus will support SME biotech and life sciences companies based in the UK, complement the country’s existing capability and attract additional inward investment from global companies.

Keith Thompson, CEO, the Cell Therapy Catapult, said: “I am delighted that we will be working with M+W Group to create a centre that will advance industry in the UK to become a world leader in cell and gene therapy development and commercialisation. The manufacturing centre will provide global scientific and medical communities with the assistance they need to convert research into products that have the potential to have a direct impact in advanced healthcare.”

Spencer Baber, Managing Director M+W Group UK said: “M+W Group is a specialist contractor for the construction of state-of-the-art facilities within the life sciences sector. We are proud to be associated with a government funded project of this specific nature which will see the UK established as the leading centre for the development of new and innovative medicinal products for the treatment of debilitating diseases such as blindness, diabetes and cancer. We are delighted to be selected as the Cell Therapy Catapult’s chosen partner in the delivery of this vision.”

In its 2013 survey of the UK’s manufacturing capability, the Cell Therapy Catapult identified Manufacturing and Supply Chain as one of the barriers to the translation of research into commercially viable products. The UK is strongly positioned for early clinical phase manufacturing and the large-scale GMP manufacturing centre will help grow a UK based global industry that will have a direct impact in healthcare.

About the Cell Therapy Catapult

The Cell Therapy Catapult was established in 2012 as an independent centre of excellence to advance the growth of the UK cell and gene therapy industry, by bridging the gap between scientific research and full-scale commercialisation. With more than 100 employees focusing on cell and gene therapy technologies, we work with our partners in academia and industry to ensure these life-changing therapies can be developed for use in health services throughout the world. We offer leading-edge capability, technology and innovation to enable companies to take products into clinical trials and provide clinical, process development, manufacturing, regulatory, health economics and market access expertise. We aim to make the UK the most compelling and logical choice for UK and international partners to develop and commercialise these advanced therapies. Regenerative medicine is one of the UK government’s eight great technologies that support UK science strengths and business capabilities. The Cell Therapy Catapult works with Innovate UK. For more information go to ct.catapult.org.uk or visit www.gov.uk/innovate-uk.

About M+W Group: M+W Group is an international design, engineering and construction company. Established in 1912 in Stuttgart, Germany it now operates in over 30 countries worldwide. The company specialises in the delivery of major, complex projects in technology-led industry sectors in energy and environmental technologies, life science and chemicals, IT and electronics.

With annual sales in 2014 excess of 2 billion euros and with over 8,000 employees the company is a recognised global leader in the construction of facilities that require the highest levels of technical skill. From design and engineering services to complete turnkey construction, M+W Group is able to offer the full range of contracting services.

For more information please visit: www.mwgroup.net.

Image Box PRNeil Hunter / Michelle BoxallTel +44 (0)20 8943 4685neil@imageboxpr.co.uk / michelle@imageboxpr.co.ukhttps://ct.catapult.org.uk@CTCatapult