Area Development
FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, a leading global biologics Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization, is expanding its gene therapy services with the addition of dedicated process and analytical development laboratories in College Station, Texas.

According to company officials, as a part of a capital investment of approximately $120 million in the gene therapy field by FUJIFILM Corporation, an investment of approximately $55 million USD will be made to establish a new Gene Therapy Innovation Center adjacent to FDB's existing state-of-the-art cGMP gene therapy manufacturing facility in College Station, Texas.

The Gene Therapy Innovation Center will be approximately 60,000 square feet and will house state-of-the-art upstream, downstream and analytical development technologies. The facility will be operational in the fall of 2021. The facility is part of the company's strategy to meet the growing demands in the Viral Gene Therapy Market. The gene therapy market forecast for CDMOs is expected to grow to $1.7Bn by 2025, company officials said.

"We are very much aware of the incredible growth in such an important therapeutic space," said Martin Meeson, President and COO of FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, US. "We know that we need to invest now, in technology, assets and people in order to achieve a market leadership position. The expansion through the construction of the Gene Therapy Innovation Center demonstrates our ongoing commitment for growth."

FDB said its main goal behind this new strategy are to provide leading, future proofed end-to-end gene therapy solutions, from pre-clinical to commercial launch. This follows an earlier announcement made by FDB to introduce its gene therapy fill finish services. Gene Therapy remains a strategic investment area for Fujifilm.

"We expect to break ground in the first quarter of 2020," said Gerry Farrell, COO at FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, Texas, "this new facility will triple our gene therapy development capabilities and will add approximately 100 jobs to our Texas Campus."

FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, brings cutting edge solutions to a broad range of global industries by leveraging its depth of knowledge and fundamental technologies developed in its relentless pursuit of innovation. Its proprietary core technologies contribute to the various fields including healthcare, graphic systems, highly functional materials, optical devices, digital imaging and document products. These products and services are based on its extensive portfolio of chemical, mechanical, optical, electronic and imaging technologies. For the year ended March 31, 2019, the company had global revenues of $22 billion, at an exchange rate of 111 yen to the dollar. Fujifilm is committed to responsible environmental stewardship and good corporate citizenship.