Legend Biotech named Flanders' Foreign Investor of the Year for Ghent expansion

The US biotechnology company Legend Biotech has been awarded Foreign Investor of the Year by Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT). The company received the Flanders International Business Award (FIBA) for a recent investment of 165 million euros in one of Europe's largest CAR-T manufacturing sites in Ghent.

Legend Biotech develops and produces cell and gene therapies for blood cancers. Its flagship treatment, Carvykti, is a personalised therapy for patients with relapsed or treatment-resistant multiple myeloma. The drug uses CAR-T technology, in which a patient’s immune cells are collected, genetically modified and returned to the body to attack cancer cells.

Carvykti is already commercially available in several European countries and in the United States. Its complex production process requires advanced facilities. In Ghent, it operates two sites as part of an international manufacturing network: one at Tech Lane Science Park and one at the Obelisc bio-accelerator.

Since arriving in Flanders in 2022, Legend Biotech has grown from a workforce of two to over a thousand employees. Following its latest investment of 165 million euros with Johnson & Johnson to expand the Tech Lane facility, it was named 'Foreign Investor of the Year' by FIT.

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Deliberate investments

Frederik Buysse, general manager of Legend Biotech Belgium, said the recognition "means a lot to the company, but even more to the local teams, as it is a confirmation of all the work being done here".

Keeping the investment in Ghent is a deliberate choice, he added. "Flanders is a strong player in biotech. You have the university ecosystem here, strong partners, a lot of talent and a logistical advantage to quickly distribute to Europe and beyond."

"Flanders is a strong player in biotech"

FIT’s annual FIBA awards also include prizes for best exporting start-up and best exporting company. Sitemark, an AI firm from Heverlee active in renewable energy, has already won the start-up award. The exporting company award will be announced on 1 December.

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