California-based biopharmaceutical company Kite Pharma, a Gilead company, announced the opening of a new facility in the Netherlands to advance production of its cancer cell therapies. The 10,000-square-meter site is located at the SEGRO Park Amsterdam Airport in Hoofddorp. Kite’s new facility will enable the company to more efficiently engineer and deliver its cell therapies to cancer patients in Europe.
“We are pleased to be leading a new frontier of cancer innovation that is bringing hope for people living with cancer,” commented John F. Milligan, PhD, Gilead’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “This new European manufacturing facility will enable personalized cell therapies to be manufactured in closer geographic proximity to the patients who will receive them, potentially shortening the turnaround time for people who urgently need care.”
In addition to existing therapies, Kite Pharma’s new facility in Holland will produce innovative new cell therapies. And, an expected 300 new jobs will be created by 2020.
Holland’s strength in biopharmaceuticals
The Netherlands is a European leader in life sciences and biopharma innovation. The country’s world-class research institutes are a top reason why biopharma companies choose Holland. The Netherlands offers high-quality infrastructure for pharmaceutical data and analysis thanks to its very well-documented population. It is home to the Medicines Evaluation Board (MEB), one of the top European regulators for central and pharmacovigilance procedures. Additionally, Holland will become the EU regulatory base for all human and veterinary medicines when the European Medicines Agency (EMA) relocates to Amsterdam next spring.
Kite Pharma’s expansion in the Netherlands builds upon the company’s European headquarters, already in Amsterdam. Kite also collaborates with the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI).