Cell and gene therapy industry continues to expand manufacturing infrastructure in the UK

Wednesday, 20 November 2024 - The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGT Catapult), an independent innovation and technology organisation committed to the advancement of cell and gene therapies has released its Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Report 2024. It highlights continued growth in manufacturing infrastructure for advanced therapies, with 32 MHRA-licensed GMP manufacturing facilities in the UK, an increase from 28 last year.

According to the report, which is based on a survey of organisations in the UK, there are six commercially licensed products now produced in the UK, compared to two in 2023. With more licensed facilities, the number of full-time employees, cleanroom footprint and in-house quality control footprint, have increased by 7%, 12% and 15% respectively.

The report notes that the new facilities gaining licensure include: Autolus’ The Nucleus, which provides one of the first dedicated facilities in the UK for the manufacturing of commercial CAR-T products; the CGT Catapult’s Braintree Manufacturing Innovation Centre which is equipped to accelerate the development of GMP operations for advanced therapies at a clinical and commercial scale; and eXmoor Pharma’s new site which provides GMP clean rooms and fill finish capabilities for viral vectors, cell therapies and RNA technologies.

Matthew Durdy, Chief Executive of the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, said:

As more advanced therapies are developed and move through clinical trials and onto commercial use, there is a need for the sector to prepare to manufacture these therapies on a larger scale. This growing infrastructure is vital to ensure that patients are able to access these life-changing therapies in the years to come.