McKinsey & Co. on Thursday said it launched a new high-tech learning and
innovation facility to support the advancement of cell and gene therapy manufacturing, expanding its global network of Digital Capability Centers.
In partnership with the New Jersey Innovation Institute and operated by
BioCentriq, McKinsey’s Newark-based facility specializes in innovative manufacturing
processes in life sciences.
The Digital Capability Center New Jersey will be located on the Newark campus of the
New Jersey Institute of Technology.
“Our latest Digital Capability Center in Newark will significantly enhance the digital
innovation experience for New Jersey’s thriving biopharma sector, and we are honored
to partner with NJII and BioCentriq to advance these services that make an impact
across the country and around the world,” Jocelyn Grahame, McKinsey New
Jersey’s office managing partner stated. “CGT continues to be one of the fastest-growing
areas of biopharma therapeutics, with several new treatments available to patients and
hundreds more in development. This facility will help biopharma companies sustain
higher levels of innovation and accessibility by helping to solve their operational
challenges.”
The biopharma industry has undergone significant transformation in recent years, with
increasing potential for the adoption and scale of digital technologies. For CGT
manufacturing in particular, the impact can be substantial in expanding access to new
therapies that can treat, and potentially cure, certain debilitating diseases such as:
relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, spinal muscular atrophy and
Leber congenital amaurosis.
Haro Hartounian, CEO of BioCentriq, said: “We believe that the future of medicine lies in
regenerative medicine. Our team is thrilled to have the opportunity to share our
expertise and experience in manufacturing cell and gene therapies to help shape the
future of this center and ensure that all participants have a realistic and productive
experience.”
While cell and gene therapies hold groundbreaking potential to treat debilitating
diseases, they are also complex to manufacture. McKinsey’s Digital Capability Center
focuses on showcasing advanced manufacturing methods necessary for these
therapies. The center will enable more effective operations to improve performance —
from advanced analytics for increased yield productivity to artificial intelligence in
deviation reduction and digital-twin-based lab scheduling. Most importantly, it helps
companies develop the skills, capabilities and cultural changes needed to adapt to and
sustain the new methods required for success.
