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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

TCR2 Therapeutics Plans Rockville, Maryland, Cell Therapy Manufacturing Hub

03/30/2021
TCR2 Therapeutics Inc., a clinical-stage cell therapy company with a pipeline of novel T cell therapies for patients suffering from cancer, signed a long-term, full-building lease for an existing 85,000 square foot cell therapy manufacturing facility in Rockville, Maryland. The project is expected to create 175 new jobs over the next two to three years.

The site, which is ready for Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) build-out will support clinical and commercial production of gavo-cel with a capacity to treat several thousand cancer patients annually. The facility is expected to accelerate the company’s commercial-scale manufacturing timelines with production anticipated in 2023.

“After observing the consistent early clinical benefit and manageable safety profile experienced by patients treated with gavo-cel, we committed to securing a dedicated U.S. manufacturing facility as the first step in building a regional network to supply cancer patients with our therapies,” said Garry Menzel, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of TCR2 Therapeutics.

To assist with project costs related to the expansion, the Maryland Department of Commerce has approved an $875,000 conditional loan contingent on job creation and capital investment. Montgomery County has approved a $100,000 Economic Development Fund conditional grant contingent on job creation and capital investment. The company is eligible for several tax credits, including the Job Creation Tax Credit, More Jobs for Marylanders, and the county’s New Jobs Tax Credit.

“It’s great news that, working together with our partners in Montgomery County, we have attracted yet another world-class company to our growing life sciences community in Maryland,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Kelly M. Schulz. “Our highly-educated workforce, proximity to many key federal agencies and labs, and critical mass of life sciences companies and resources makes our state the ideal place for a growing company like TCR2 to continue its life-saving work developing transformative cell therapies.”

TCR2 Therapeutics Inc. is a clinical-stage cell therapy company developing a pipeline of novel T cell therapies for patients suffering from solid tumors or hematological malignancies. According to company officials, TCR2’s proprietary T cell receptor (TCR) Fusion Construct T cells (TRuC®-T cells) specifically recognize and kill cancer cells by harnessing signaling from the entire TCR, independent of human leukocyte antigens (HLA). In preclinical studies, TRuC-T cells have demonstrated superior anti-tumor activity compared to chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T cells), while secreting lower levels of cytokine release.

“In choosing Montgomery County, TCR2 found the perfect location to quickly build their advanced manufacturing facility and accelerate the development time of their personalized cancer therapies,” said Benjamin H. Wu, president & CEO of Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation. "The company’s arrival and long-term commitment truly add to Montgomery County's stature as the Immunology Capital next to the Nation's Capital."

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