Ipsen, a global biopharmaceutical group focused on innovation and specialty care,entered an agreement with BioLabs to open a life science co-working facility within Ipsen’s new North America global hub in Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. The shared laboratory space, called the ‘Ipsen Innovation Center – BioLabs’ (IPSEN-ICB) will be a fully equipped 15,000 square-feet combined office and laboratory facility dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs and startup companies developing the next generation of therapeutics for patients.
Ipsen Executive Vice President Research & Development, Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Alexandre Lebeaut, commented, “Our focus is to address patients’ unmet medical needs, relentlessly looking for innovative therapeutic solutions. Teaming up with BioLabs in Cambridge today is the opportunity to create a unique innovation center to serve this purpose.”
Ipsen is providing the space for the innovation center as well as educational programs, mentoring and office hours with Ipsen R&D teams. BioLabs, a national network of co-working facilities designed to help science-based startups go further faster on limited capital investment, is managing the operation of the facility. The space is scheduled to be ready for occupancy in the first quarter of 2019 and BioLabs will begin accepting applications for occupancy in the coming months. Admission to the IPSEN-ICB will be via a competitive process.
This agreement further expands Ipsen’s footprint in Cambridge, and follows last month’s joint announcement with the Massachusetts Life Sciences Centre on the creation of Ipsen’s third global hub for the company based in Cambridge. Ipsen will co-locate its North America business with its Global External Innovation and Partnering, R&D and Manufacturing teams, as well as certain global Commercial roles, creating a fully integrated biopharmaceutical business in the US.
“External innovation is core to Ipsen’s growth strategy and we are committed to supporting the biotech ecosystem that plays such a vital role in discovering innovative new therapies,” added Ivana Magovčević-Liebisch, Ph.D., J.D., EVP, chief business officer. “Ipsen is excited to partner with BioLabs to establish a world-class co-working space that will provide a launchpad for the next generation of high-impact biotechs.”
BioLabs Founder and CEO Johannes Fruehauf, M.D., Ph.D., commented, “Working with the team at Ipsen, we are proud to expand access to state-of-the-art facilities for the scientists and entrepreneurs in and around the Boston/Cambridge hotbed of life-science innovation. Like all our facilities, this site will be designed to stimulate creative interaction and collaboration with the bonus of offering access to Ipsen’s world class R&D capabilities.”
(Source: Ipsen)
