Somerset-based drug delivery technology company Catalent has agreed to acquire a cell therapy manufacturing business in Belgium, it announced this week.
Catalent signed an agreement with Bone Therapeutics to acquire its Skeletal Cell Therapy Support SA subsidiary, including the purpose-built, 41,000-square-foot facility in Gosselies. The site includes laboratories, warehouse space, clean rooms and developable land.
“Catalent is committed to supporting the development and manufacture of next-generation therapies and bringing life-changing treatments to patients in need,” Manja Boerman, president of Catalent Cell & Gene Therapy, said in a prepared statement. “Following the acquisition of MaSTherCell, the additional manufacturing capacity and technical expertise that this deal with Bone Therapeutics gives us will immediately expand our functional clinical and commercial capacity for current late-stage customers.”
The facility is next to Catalent’s existing cell therapy site, enabling the company to create a European cell therapy center of excellence. Catalent said it is continuing to work on its 60,000-square-foot production and fill-finish facility in Gosselies, a part of the town of Charleroi, south of Brussels. That facility is slated for completion by the end of 2021.
“This addition also creates a strong center of cell therapy excellence for Catalent in Europe, and will serve as a hub for the growing cell therapy pipeline,” Boerman said.
Catalent will take over manufacturing of clinical material for Bone Therapeutics’ Allob drug, it noted, and SCTS’ experienced manufacturing employees will remain in place, joining the Catalent workforce.
Bone Therapeutics is also based in Gosselies.
