The Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine (AIRM), a subsidiary of Astellas, has officially opened its state-of-the-art center for the research and development of regenerative medicine and cell therapy located in Westborough, Massachusetts. A virtual dedication of the new AIRM facility took place yesterday, including dignitaries Massachusetts Lt. Governor Karyn Polito; Robert Langer, ScD, David H. Koch Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Robert Coughlin, President & CEO of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council.

The new $120-million regenerative medicine facility is 262,000 square feet and enables capabilities across the full continuum from stem cell culturing, translational science, process development, drug development and GMP manufacturing. Approximately 180 employees currently work at the facility.

The new AIRM facility is designed with the consideration of future progress of cell therapy development to enable Astellas to meet the demands of commercial production. The facility has seven GMP clean rooms compliant with global requirements from regulators that include the FDA, the European Medicines Agency, and Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency. The Westborough site will encompass manufacturing of clinical trial material, or CTM, for commercialization of cell therapies.

“From the beginning of planning this facility, our vision started with patients. We saw the opportunity to advance one of the most exciting classes of medicines, cell therapies, to treat diseases in an entirely new way to change the lives of patients,” said Yoshitsugu Shitaka, President of the Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine. “Astellas has made a global commitment to Blindness and Regeneration as one of the primary focus areas for our company. We are making investments and bringing the best science and the best people from all over the world that come here together at the Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine.”

Astellas Pharma Inc. is a pharmaceutical company conducting business in more than 70 countries around the world. We are promoting the Focus Area Approach that is designed to identify opportunities for the continuous creation of new drugs to address diseases with high unmet medical needs. Through these efforts, Astellas stands on the forefront of healthcare change to turn innovative science into value for patients. For more information about the Astellas Biomedical Innovation Hub, please visit https://www.astellas.com/en/science/innovation-hub.