Hitachi Chemical Co. Ltd. welcomed Gov. Phil Murphy and other dignitaries on Jan. 29 to cut the ribbon on the new Hitachi Chemical Advanced Therapeutics Solutions cell and gene therapy manufacturing facility at 75 Commerce Drive in Allendale. — Courtesy: HCATS
By Joshua Burd
A global life sciences company has opened a new cell and gene therapy manufacturing facility in Allendale, more than doubling its existing capacity in the state.
The business, Hitachi Chemical Advanced Therapeutics Solutions LLC, unveiled the new facility this week during a visit from Gov. Phil Murphy. Located at 75 Commerce Drive, the new space comprises about 50,000 square feet within a flex commercial building near Route 17, with the potential to house up to 500 employees.
It is also HCATS’ first facility to be designed from the ground up to meet the needs of commercial cell and gene therapy products, according to the company, which is a subsidiary of Hitachi Chemical Co. Ltd.
“The opening of this new facility marks an important milestone for HCATS and will offer a state-of-the-art resource for our clients as they commercialize cell and gene therapies,” said Robert Preti, CEO and president of HCATS and general manager of Hitachi Chemical’s Regenerative Medicine Business Sector in North America. “Access to this type of manufacturing space is needed across the industry to ensure the continued growth and momentum of these promising therapeutics. This facility will require up to 500 more employees to reach full operational capacity over the next several years, supporting our growing roster of clients.”
HCATS committed to the space in late 2017 as part of a transaction brokered by Avison Young and CBRE. The facility currently includes six classified environment rooms, with the capacity to add more rooms that can be specifically configured to accommodate growing client needs, according to a news release. Also included are modern manufacturing development laboratories, quality control and microbiological labs, warehousing, executive offices and meeting space.
“I am excited for Hitachi Chemical Advanced Therapeutics Solutions’ future in New Jersey, and I have no doubt that their new, state-of-the-art facility will not only help New Jersey residents, but also contribute to expanding the innovation economy by bringing up to 500 new jobs to our state,” Murphy said. “With our highly educated and diverse workforce, New Jersey is the perfect location for expanding biotech firms like Hitachi Chemical.”
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