Cell Therapy Catapult appoints main contractor for manufacturing centre
October 09 2015 - 2:00AM
Business Wire
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.
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151008006056/en/
Image Box PRNeil Hunter / Michelle BoxallTel +44 (0)20 8943
4685neil@imageboxpr.co.uk / michelle@imageboxpr.co.ukhttps://ct.catapult.org.uk@CTCatapult