NJII announces that qualification and validation of its clinical manufacturing facility for cell and gene therapies is underway, and the name of the center will be BioCentriq.
May 4, 2020: Newark, N.J. – Today the Biopharma Division of the New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII), an NJIT corporation, introduced BioCentriq as the name of its cell and gene therapy production and manufacturing center. BioCentriq is the only process development and clinical manufacturing facility for cell and gene therapies located in Newark, N.J., and the first of its kind to be located on a university campus in the United States.
“We are one of the few universities in the country able to offer a Professional Science Masters (PSM) degree program and professional graduate certificate in the rapidly expanding field of cell and gene therapy“ stated Kevin D. Belfield, dean of NJIT’s College of Science and Liberal Arts. “And the only university fortunate enough to be able to provide our students and industry partners the opportunity to take advantage of the process development, clinical manufacturing, and workforce development capabilities as well as the experts and equipment resident at BioCentriq.”
The Biopharma Division also announced that it has initiated the qualification and validation process for the BioCentriq facility and its equipment. This Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facility is located at NJIT’s Life Sciences and Engineering center and features two GMP suites. The GMP suites are expected to complete their qualification and validation and be operational this summer. BioCentriq also offers a process development center, currently located at the Rutgers Medical School in Newark, which has been open and actively supporting projects since late 2019.
“BioCentriq will help bring innovative and novel therapies to clinical trials, providing a venue for established companies and start-ups alike. It is also a unique training ground for the workforce of the future,“ stated Dr. Haro Hartounian, SVP and General Manager of Biopharma at NJII. “We are grateful to all our partners who have supported us financially and with in-kind donations of equipment and supplies, as well as the industry leaders who serve on our advisory board and lend us their expertise.”
To learn more, watch our video, contact us at biopharma@njii.com or visit njii.com/biopharma.