Oxford BioMedica further capacity expansion

RNS Number : 6194A

Oxford Biomedica PLC

13 September 2018

 

Oxford BioMedica announces further capacity expansion with new facility

-     Lentiviral vector bioprocessing market expected to grow to $800m by 2026

-     Oxford BioMedica adds fourth facility in Oxford allowing the Group to target 25% to 30% of global lentiviral vector bioprocessing market (excluding milestones and royalties)

Oxford, UK - 13 September 2018: Oxford BioMedica plc (LSE:OXB) ("Oxford BioMedica" or "the Group"), a leading gene and cell therapy group, today announces that it has signed a fifteen year lease on a new facility in Oxford that is close to its Windrush Court headquarters.

The new facility is approx. 84,000 sqft (7,800 sqm). The Group's planned Phase I and Phase 2 expansion will fit out around 45,000 sqft (4,200 sqm) for four GMP clean room suites and two fill and finish suites as well as offices, warehousing and QC laboratories, with space available for future expansion. Once open, the facility will more than double the Group's bioprocessing capacity. The plan is to open the new offices and warehouse in Q1 2019, with the additional GMP suites being ready in Q1 2020.

This new full-service site, fully funded through the successful Placing in March 2018, will allow the Group to exploit the immediate market opportunity, meet the expected long-term demand and futureproof Oxford BioMedica's market leading position. This new facility secures Oxford as a bioprocessing centre for Oxford BioMedica and will create up to 100 new, highly skilled positions at the Group over the next two years.

John Dawson, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford BioMedica, said: "We are delighted to secure this new facility in Oxford for our capacity expansion programme. Oxford BioMedica is a leading gene and cell therapy Group and, following the approval of the first gene therapy in the US, we have seen a step change in business development enquiries for our expertise across the LentiVector™ enabled platform. With the finances secured earlier this year, we are now able to accelerate our investment in the new facility which, once on stream, will have the capacity to meet the expected long-term demand for lentiviral vectors."

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For further information, please contact:
Oxford BioMedica plc: John Dawson,  Chief Executive Officer Stuart Paynter, Chief Financial Officer		Tel: [phone]
Financial and corporate communications enquiries: Consilium Strategic Communications Mary-Jane Elliott/Matthew Neal/Olivia Manser/Laura Thornton		Tel: [phone]

Notes to editors

About Oxford BioMedica

Oxford BioMedica (LSE:OXB) is a leading gene and cell therapy group focused on developing life changing treatments for serious diseases. Oxford BioMedica and its subsidiaries (the "Group") have built a sector leading lentiviral vector delivery platform (LentiVector^®), which the Group leverages to develop in vivo and ex vivo products both in-house and with partners. The Group has created a valuable proprietary portfolio of gene and cell therapy product candidates in the areas of oncology, ophthalmology and CNS disorders. The Group has also entered into a number of partnerships, including with Novartis, Bioverativ, Sanofi, Axovant, Orchard Therapeutics, Boehringer Ingelheim/UK Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy Consortium/Imperial Innovations, GC LabCell and Immune Design, through which it has long-term economic interests in other potential gene and cell therapy products. Oxford BioMedica is based across several locations in Oxfordshire, UK and employs more than 320 people. Further information is available at www.oxfordbiomedica.co.uk.

 

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