Date: 2016-06-20
Type of information: Opening of new premises
Compound: manufacturing facilities
Company: Kite Pharma (USA - CA)
Therapeutic area:
Type agreement: opening of new premises
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Details: * On June 20, 2016, Kite Pharma, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing engineered autologous T-cell therapy (eACT™) products for the treatment of cancer, marked the official opening of its new commercial manufacturing facility in El Segundo, California . Over 300 employees, investors and company partners attended the unveiling of the 43,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art plant. The facility has been designed to produce chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T-cell receptor (TCR) product candidates for clinical trials, as well as for the potential launch and commercialization of Kite's lead CAR T-cell product candidate, KTE-C19, which is in clinical study for the treatment of chemorefractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and other B-cell malignancies. Kite anticipates commercial launch of KTE-C19 in 2017. The facility is estimated to have the capacity to produce up to 5,000 patient therapies per year. The plant's location, adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport , is intended to expedite receipt and shipment of engineered T-cells from and to patients across the United States and Europe . * On February 19, 2015, Kite Pharma announced that it has entered into a lease agreement for a commercial manufacturing facility in El Segundo, California, which is adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport. Kite also recently secured a lease for a clinical manufacturing facility in Santa Monica, California. The two facilities will not only support the planned clinical trials of Kite's product candidates, but also will prepare Kite for the commercial launch and supply of its lead product candidate, KTE-C19, anticipated in 2017. The Santa Monica facility has approximately 18,000 square feet and will provide space for clinical manufacturing, research and development, and offices upon completion. In addition, Kite plans to continue to utilize its contract manufacturer to support clinical trials of eACT™ based product candidates. The El Segundo facility has approximately 44,500 square feet, and, under the lease agreement, Kite has an expansion option for an additional 17,000 square feet until July 1, 2017. Kite was represented in the negotiation of the lease by Andrew Riley and Jeff Pion of CBRE.
Underscoring the company's focus on execution and commitment to the future delivery of immuno-oncology therapies, the El Segundo facility is expected to be operational by the end of this year for clinical production, less than two years after the site groundbreaking in February 2015 . The El Segundo facility will complement Kite's existing clinical manufacturing facilities in Santa Monica, California , that are currently producing therapies for Kite's ongoing clinical trials.
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