Adaptimmune Therapeutics plc. announced plans to locate its U.S. headquarters and clinical operations in a newly developed facility to be constructed at The Navy Yard in Philadelphia.
The 47,400 square foot facility, located at 351 Rouse Boulevard in The Navy Yard’s Corporate Center, will house a state-of-the-art cGMP manufacturing facility designed to support the clinical development and initial commercialization of the Company’s novel engineered immunotherapies for cancer.
Adaptimmune, represented by CBRE, has entered into a long-term lease agreement for its U.S. headquarters building being developed by Liberty Property Trust and Synterra Partners. CBRE’s Project Management Group will also advise Adaptimmune in the construction phase of the project. The official groundbreaking ceremony will take place this morning at 11:00am EDT at The Navy Yard, and the building is expected to be delivered in late 2016.
“Adaptimmune is in a period of rapid growth on both sides of the Atlantic, and we are putting in place the facilities to enable us to deliver our promising pipeline into the clinic and beyond,” said James Noble, Chief Executive Officer of Adaptimmune. “This exciting new Philadelphia facility allows us to expand our clinical and early commercial manufacturing and control associated costs in anticipation of the commercialization of our product candidates. We are delighted to be working in partnership with key players in Pennsylvania and we regard our commitment to The Navy Yard as a vote of confidence in the city and the region as a powerhouse for scientific and medical achievement. We started Adaptimmune in 2008 through a partnership with the University of Pennsylvania, and we have had roots in Philadelphia ever since. The location provides us with an environment that promotes strong business growth and innovation, as well as access to a rich pool of scientific and clinical talent that we will use to place more than 110 new jobs to the area in the near future.”
Adaptimmune has also announced the construction of a major new laboratory and office building in Milton Park, Oxfordshire providing approximately 67,000 square feet of rentable area. The U.K. facility will support Adaptimmune’s expanding research and development operation and is also scheduled for delivery in late 2016, complementing its U.S. clinical and manufacturing plans.
By leveraging its integrated T-Cell Receptor (TCR) engineering platform, Adaptimmune has established an enviable pipeline of immunotherapy candidates and is already generating promising early data in both solid and hematologic cancers. The company has five phase I/II clinical trials ongoing with its NY-ESO therapeutic candidate, an IND open with its second therapeutic candidate, MAGE-A10, and a third candidate in planning for IND submission in 2016.
