ElevateBio, Univ. of Pittsburgh announce creation of BioForge BioManufacturing Center

ElevateBio LLC and the University of Pittsburgh recently announced they had entered into an agreement to locate a new biomanufacturing center in Pittsburgh.

Through the agreement, ElevateBio will locate one of its next BaseCamp process development and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) manufacturing facilities in Pittsburgh, fully equipped with enabling technologies, including gene editing, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) and cell, vector and protein engineering capabilities. The partnership will accelerate the development of highly innovative cell and gene therapies, the organizations said.

“This announcement supports the region’s rise as a leader in cell and gene therapy and advances our vision of bringing an entirely new commercial manufacturing sector to the area,” said Patrick Gallagher, Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh. “The University of Pittsburgh is proud to partner with ElevateBio in this work, which will see us leveraging lessons from the lab— in new and exciting ways — for the benefit of human health.”

As part of the 30-year agreement, the university will utilize funding from a Richard King Mellon Foundation $100 million grant to create the Pitt BioForge BioManufacturing Center at Hazelwood Green. The partners intend to locate the new technology-enabled process development and GMP manufacturing facility at the Pitt BioForge at Hazelwood Green to further innovation in the region. The project is anticipated to create more than 170 permanent full-time jobs, 900 construction jobs and 360 off-site support jobs.

The grant is the largest single-project grant in the foundation’s 75-year history, officials said.

“To realize our vision of transforming the cell and gene therapy field for decades to come, broadening our footprint across metropolitan areas is a key priority for us, and we are thrilled that the University of Pittsburgh will be home to one of our BaseCamp facilities,” said David Hallal, chairman and chief executive officer of ElevateBio. “We’ve identified Pittsburgh as an ideal location to extend our BaseCamp presence as it sits at the intersection of science, technology, and talent. We are grateful for the support of the Governor and County Executive as we bring the first-of-its-kind offering we have built at ElevateBio BaseCamp to advance the work of the entire biopharmaceutical industry.”

In addition to the foundation grant, ElevateBio and the University of Pittsburgh will also receive Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and County of Allegheny incentive grants.