Belgian biopharma company UCB opens new gene therapy facility in Walloon Brabant
The Belgian biopharmaceutical company UCB has officially opened its new gene therapy facility in Braine-l'Alleud, Walloon Brabant province, on Friday. The project represents an investment of 200 million euros and will create around 150 jobs.
With this new state-of-the-art facility, the company is expanding its research capacity into innovative treatments for severe diseases. All phases of research can be carried out at the site.
Gene therapy is a medical treatment in which the patient’s DNA is modified. Defective genes are modified or replaced to tackle certain diseases at their source.
“The technique is based on the use of a virus that is rendered harmless as a messenger, which conveys to the cells instructions to function correctly,” explained Gaël Debauve, head of Gene Therapy Analytical Sciences at UCB. “For the patient, this means a single administration rather than chronic treatment, and a more precise, tailored impact on each disease, with a long-lasting effect.”
In the brand-new building at the heart of the UCB campus, there are clinical production units that meet the strictest quality standards, equipped with tanks for cell culture. The site also features laboratories to analyse the quality of the treatment, and dedicated areas for larger-scale production. “An automated line ensures the filling and finishing of the products, whilst a digital system allows the processes to be monitored in real time,” the company explained.
UCB plans around fifteen gene therapy production campaigns per year. These will then be used for clinical trials and may eventually be marketed. “This is an important step in our innovation journey,” declared Debauve. “It should help us translate groundbreaking research into concrete solutions for patients.”
UCB’s campus in Braine-l'Alleud exists since 1971 and covers more than 50 hectares. The campus houses one of the group’s most important research centres, specialising in neurology and immunology. It employs around 3,000 people.
UCB's new gene therapy site at Braine l'Alleud © BELGA PHOTO EMILE WINDAL
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