Strategic acquisition will enable Genezen
to deliver late-phase and commercial gene therapy development and
manufacturing services to customers around the world.
BOSTON and INDIANAPOLIS, July 1, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Genezen, a best-in-class gene therapy CDMO,
today announced an agreement to acquire uniQure's (Nasdaq: QURE)
commercial gene therapy operations in Lexington, MA, bringing a strategic
manufacturing facility and a world-class team of employees to the
company. Under the terms of the agreement, Genezen will enter into
strategic supply agreements for uniQure's clinical portfolio and
CSL's commercial HEMGENIX® product, the first one-time
gene therapy approved in the U.S. and Europe for the treatment of adults with severe
and moderately severe Hemophilia B. Located just outside of
Boston, the Lexington site is a commercially-licensed
viral vector facility, enabling Genezen to support customers from
preclinical development programs through late-phase and commercial
manufacturing. The facility also includes a state-of-the-art
laboratory space and pilot plant that will serve as Genezen's
global AAV center of excellence. With industry-leading
infrastructure and a proven track record, the Lexington site will complement Genezen's
existing clinical manufacturing operations and talented team in
Indianapolis, IN.
Steve Favaloro, President and
Chief Executive Officer of Genezen, commented, "I am thrilled to
welcome the Lexington team and the
addition of a state-of-the-art, licensed viral vector manufacturing
facility to Genezen. This acquisition significantly enhances
Genezen's scale and differentiated capabilities, directly aligned
with our mission to advance cell and gene therapies by providing
top-tier, science-driven development and manufacturing
solutions. We are honored to deliver these services to our
current customers and the patients they serve, and are well
positioned to immediately extend our support to even more customers
in Lexington."
"uniQure has been a pioneer in gene therapy manufacturing for
the past 15 years, and we are pleased to have found a partner in
Genezen to take the facility and team into its next phase of
growth," stated Matt Kapusta, CEO of
uniQure. "This transaction provides us with continued access to the
world-class manufacturing capabilities we established and the
talented, dedicated people who support the facility every day. We
look forward to beginning our collaboration with Genezen and are
committed to ensuring a seamless transition."
Mike Deem, Head of CSL Behring
Operations, "We are excited to expand our relationship with Genezen
and have them take on HEMGENIX® commercial supply from
the Lexington manufacturing
operation, continuing to optimize the manufacturing process and
help us ensure a reliable supply for patients."
This transaction will be funded in part by additional growth
equity from Ampersand Capital Partners. "I am thankful for the
continued support from Ampersand in our latest growth equity
funding" added Favaloro. "The additional financing will allow us to
grow our multi-site operations and positions us well to execute our
long-term growth strategy to bring novel therapies to life for our
customers around the world."
About Genezen
Genezen is a contract development and
manufacturing organization (CDMO) with a decade's experience at the
heart of the rapid growth in the gene and cell therapy market.
Genezen is a leader in the supply of retroviral vectors, lentiviral
vectors, and AAV. Led by an extremely experienced team, a
science-first approach influences continual investment in scalable,
high-yield manufacturing processes and best-in-class technologies.
For more information about Genezen, please visit genezen.com.
About Ampersand Capital Partners
Ampersand Capital
Partners, founded in 1988, is a middle-market private equity firm
with $3 billion of assets under
management, dedicated to growth-oriented investments in the
healthcare sector. With offices in Boston, MA, and Amsterdam, Netherlands, Ampersand leverages a
unique blend of private equity and operating experience to build
value and drive long-term performance alongside its portfolio
company management teams. Ampersand has helped build numerous
market-leading companies across each of the firm's core healthcare
sectors. For additional information,
visit ampersandcapital.com or follow us
on LinkedIn.
Media Contact
Katie
Kristofic
Email: PR@genezen.com
For BD contacts, please email BD@genezen.com
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SOURCE Genezen