WuXi PharmaTech To Build New Cell Therapy Manufacturing Facility for CAR T Cells and Other Cancer Immunotherapies

SHANGHAI, March 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE: WX), a leading open-access R&D capability and technology platform company serving the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries, announced today that it will soon begin construction of a new, 145,000-square-foot cGMP facility in Philadelphia for the manufacture of cell therapy products. This facility is designed for cell therapy products that contain viral vectors such as chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T cell) therapies. CAR T cells are T cells harvested from a patient's body, engineered to target specific cancers, and then reintroduced into the body.

The new facility will become WuXi's third cell therapy manufacturing facility when it becomes operational by mid-2016. It will provide single-source contract development and cGMP manufacturing capabilities to support the rapidly growing cellular therapeutic industry's unique requirements. Specifically, the new facility will provide manufacturing capability and capacity to meet the rapidly expanding demand for clinical studies and commercial supply. The new facility will expand upon WuXi's existing 16,000-square-foot cGMP cell therapy manufacturing facility, as well as a 45,000-square-foot facility for the manufacturing of allogeneic and autologous cell-based therapeutics that is expected to be completed by mid-2015. By 2016, WuXi's available manufacturing capacity in the U.S. of 206,000 square feet would help meet the anticipated market needs of clinical and commercial production for cell-therapy companies. These facilities will complement the company's current fully integrated facility for biological safety and lot release testing in Philadelphia.

"Cell therapies like CAR T cells offer important new treatment options for cancer patients, and WuXi aims to be at the forefront of this area of providing our partners with cutting-edge cGMP manufacturing capabilities and capacities," said Dr. Ge Li, Chairman and CEO of WuXi PharmaTech.

For more information on WuXi's services in the manufacture of cell therapies, please visit http://www.wuxiapptec.com/bio_cgmpManufactureOfCellularTherapeutics.html.

About WuXi PharmaTech

WuXi PharmaTech (NYSE: WX) is a leading open-access R&D capability and technology platform company serving the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries, with operations in China and the United States. As a research-driven and customer-focused company, WuXi PharmaTech provides pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies with a broad and integrated portfolio of laboratory and manufacturing services throughout the drug and medical device R&D process. WuXi is also building a platform to provide clinical diagnostic services directly to physicians and their patients globally. WuXi PharmaTech's services are designed to help its global partners in shortening the cycle and lowering the cost of drug and medical device R&D. The operating subsidiaries of WuXi PharmaTech are known as WuXi AppTec.

For more information, please contact:

Ronald Aldridge
Director of Investor Relations
+1 (201) 585-2048
[email protected]

Aaron Shi
Associate Director of Corporate Communications
+86-21-5046-4362
[email protected] 

SOURCE WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman) Inc.

Related Links

http://www.wuxiapptec.com