A new lab for manufacturing cutting-edge gene therapy treatments has won approval from the medicines regulator to begin producing potentially life-saving drugs, in a boost for Britain’s post-Brexit economy. The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult in Stevenage was awarded two crucial licences from the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) today, allowing the companies it works with to begin manufacturing cell and gene therapies that might one day be used by patients around the world. The two licences are an EU requirement for the production of commercial medicines for patient use or to support clinical trials. The Catapult, which is based in London and Stevenage, is a government-funded initiative to support the sector by helping scientists and businesses translate early stage research into commercially-viable medicines. The Stevenage manufacturing plant opened last spring and cost £60m, paid for by the Government through its industrial strategy fund.
The UK medicines regulator has awarded two key licences to the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult in Stevenage, a £60m ($79m) government-funded initiative which opened last year. It is understood that the company will be able to use its new licence for clinical trials of gene therapy on patients with leukaemia or other blood cancers.