LONDON, Nov. 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Autolus Therapeutics plc (Nasdaq: AUTL), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation programmed T cell therapies, today announces the handover of the first of three clean rooms forming the basis of its new commercial manufacturing facility in Stevenage, UK. This anchor facility has been named ‘The Nucleus’, chosen from Autolus staff suggestions.
The Nucleus facility is part of a larger plan to create a life sciences district in the heart of Stevenage town center by developers, Reef Group. The site has been created via a joint venture between UBS Asset Management and Reef Group to invest up to £120 million to redevelop Stevenage town center, working with key stakeholders including Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Stevenage Borough Council. The new quarter will aim to house the largest cluster of Cell and Gene Therapy companies outside the United States. The build for The Nucleus has been completed for Autolus by design and construction specialists, Merit.
“The Phase 1 completion of The Nucleus facility is a major milestone for Autolus, as well as for the town of Stevenage,”
said Dave Brochu, Chief Technical Officer of Autolus.
“The entire project team, including Autolus, Merit, and Reef Group have successfully kept this project on track despite challenging timelines, the COVID pandemic, and supply chain constraints. These efforts have enabled us to transition seamlessly into the next phase of growth for Autolus.”
“Reef Group is incredibly proud to have led a truly innovative collaboration between Autolus, Merit and our funding partners, UBS, where many industry ‘firsts’ were achieved,”
said Piers Slater, Chief Executive Officer of Reef Group.
“The ‘can do’ attitude from all the partners, in no small part inspired and driven by the Autolus Executive Team and facilitated by the unique Reef Merit approach to volumetric build, was instrumental in the delivery of a project that we believe sets a new benchmark for the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) industry.”
“To deliver this important milestone after only 17.5 months from start of design and planning and with only 12.5 months on-site is a fantastic achievement for the whole team. Merit is proud to have played a part in it,”
said Tony Wells, Chief Executive Officer of Merit.
“The Autolus Executive Management team provided clear directions and set challenging targets for quality and delivery schedule, which have driven innovation throughout the project. It has been a fun, collaborative and exciting opportunity for everyone involved at Merit.”
