US-based VectorBuilder Inc. has announced the construction of a new R&D and manufacturing centre in Guangzhou, China. The ‘Gene Delivery Research and Manufacturing Campus’ will significantly expand VectorBuilder’s R&D capabilities and its production capacity for both research-use and cGMP-grade gene delivery vectors, allowing the company to continue supporting groundbreaking research worldwide.

The campus will include a state-of-the-art CDMO facility with 30 production suites, designed for cGMP manufacturing of plasmids, mRNA, AAV, lentivirus, cell lines and other types of viral and non-viral vectors. It will also offer CRO services for vector optimization, functional validation and non-GLP and GLP studies for vector biodistribution, ADME/PK/PD and toxicology. Additionally, the campus will be home to a research institute dedicated to developing new gene delivery technologies that improve upon current tools in terms of targeting efficiency, payload, safety and manufacturing cost, to meet the demand in clinical applications such as gene therapy, vector-based vaccines and virus-based cancer therapeutics. The research institute will also carry out educational activities aimed at training scientists and engineers in the rapidly expanding gene delivery field.

Construction is expected to cost $500 million and will be split into two phases over the next four years. There will be approximately 100,000 sq mt of floor space capable of housing over 2,000 staff members. This project is part of a global expansion by VectorBuilder, with additional R&D and manufacturing sites planned in the US, Europe and Japan.