United Kingdom-headquartered pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca announced plans on March 19 to establish a commercial cell therapy manufacturing facility in Shanghai's Lin-gang Special Area, making it the first global biopharmaceutical company with end-to-end cell therapy capabilities in China.

A view of the Dishui Lake in Lin-gang Special Area. [Photo/lingang.gov.cn]

The facility will produce and supply autologous CAR-T cell therapies for China and other Asian markets. The facility will support the production of the AZD0120, a BCMA/CD19 dual-targeting CAR T-cell therapy using the FasTCAR rapid manufacturing platform, which is currently in clinical trials for multiple myeloma and autoimmune diseases.

The biopharmaceuticals sector is a key frontier industry in Lin-gang, with more than 100 companies specializing in cutting-edge fields such as cell and gene therapy as well as innovative biologics operating in the Lin-gang Special Area Life Science and Tech Park. Leveraging institutional innovation and favorable policies, Lin-gang has also attracted leading pharmaceutical, consumer health, and medical device companies, including Haleon and Boston Scientific.

A view of the Lin-gang Special Area Life Science and Tech Park. [Photo/lingang.gov.cn]

The announcement of AstraZeneca's project will further strengthen Lin-gang's competitive edge in the cell therapy sector and represents a significant step forward in allowing foreign-invested enterprises in the area to engage in cell therapy.