New Biotechnology Campus

New Biotechnology Campus Astellas unveiled plans to open a new biotechnology campus in South San Francisco. The 154,000-square-meter new facility will provide a West Coast (USA West Coast) hub focused on research, innovation and business collaboration in corporate and program areas. Astellas Pharma Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Kenji Yasukawa announced plans to establish an integrated biotechnology campus in South San Francisco, which will become an innovation and research hub on the U.S. West Coast. The 154,000-square-meter new building at 480 Forbes Boulevard will enable co-location of several Astellas business units and functions currently positioned independently in the San Francisco region. The new innovation and research center will house employees in research, technical operations, medical and development, commercial and related administrative support functions. Astellas will invest approximately USD 70 million to create a state-of-the-art new facility that will provide laboratory and collaborative work spaces to accommodate future growth while developing a range of innovative cell and gene therapies for patients with limited or no treatment options, including rare diseases and cancer. Yoshitsugu Shitaka, Chief Scientific Officer at Astellas, said: "By bringing together our business units in the Bay Area, we are creating a distinctive West Coast hub alongside other leaders in biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry in the vibrant South San Francisco corridor. Similar to the Astellas Biomedical Innovation Center located in the Boston area, this new facility will promote an even higher level of collaboration among all those supporting our first-class, multidisciplinary teams working in cell and gene therapies, business opportunity development and our efforts to create value for patients." Astellas plans to complete the building and commence operations in summer 2023. Astellas will be the sole occupant of the new building and will spend the coming year equipping the interior with state-of-the-art research laboratories, office spaces and other facilities. Astellas Gene Therapies, Xyphos Biosciences, business development, Rx+® Business Accelerator and West Coast employees from planned future growth in these units are designed to be housed in the facility. Additionally, the co-location of these operations will enable more efficient use of space by consolidating laboratory and office facilities from existing separate locations into a single new building. Astellas' VISION is to be at the forefront of healthcare transformation and turn innovative science into VALUE for patients. Under this vision, Astellas has focused on delivering life-changing cell and gene therapy treatments to patients suffering from diseases with no treatment options. Astellas has already reflected the impact of this matter in its financial forecast for the current fiscal year ending 31 March 2023. Source