Stevenage 75th anniversary magazine | biz4Biz - Magazine - Page 61
CGT Catapult
Innovative Stevenage at the forefront of
the global cell and gene therapy sector
When Stevenage was designated as a
new town in 1946, the cell and gene
therapies of today were a long way from
being made a reality for patients. Yet over
the past decade this town has become a
leading global hub for highly advanced,
life-changing therapies.
Cell and gene therapies are the latest
revolution in medicine manufacturing.
They are highly complex treatments with
the potential to cure and revolutionise
the treatment of life-threatening diseases,
including cancer, and offer the potential
of true cures for many genetic disorders.
Cell and gene therapies are “living
medicines” and utilise and introduce cells
and/or genes into a patient to potentially
treat the underlying cause of a disease.
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO
Today, Stevenage and its surrounding
area represent a world-class network
for the development, manufacture and
commercialisation of cell and gene
therapies and has witnessed extraordinary
growth over the past few years. Stevenage
is now at the centre of the largest cell
and gene therapy cluster outside the
USA. Of significant impact to this is the
Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGT
Catapult) and its people. Its state-of-theart Manufacturing Innovation Centre in
Stevenage opened in 2018 and doubled its
capacity in 2019 to help drive the growth
and development of the exciting cell and
gene therapy ecosystem in the UK and
across the globe.
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO
From a standing start to centre of one of
the world’s leading clusters for cell and
gene therapies
The CGT Catapult was founded in
2012, is an independent innovation and
technology organisation committed to the
advancement of cell and gene therapies,
with a vision of a thriving industry
delivering life changing advanced
therapies to the world.
Five years after the CGT Catapult was
founded, the town of Stevenage was
selected as the ideal location to establish
the CGT Catapult’s Manufacturing
Innovation Centre as a national and
international focal point for cell and gene
therapy manufacturing. The aim of this
new centre was to bridge the high-risk
gap between bio-medical research and
the regulated production of cell and gene
therapies.
The CGT Catapult facility currently
occupies a 2,100m2 footprint in the
Stevenage Advanced Therapeutics
Campus, and is part of the UK
government’s strategy to establish more
high technology capabilities in the
UK, providing fantastic employment
opportunities. These complex and
cutting-edge facilities require significant
investment – the centre is funded by
over £75 million of capital, including
investments from the UK Government’s
Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, the
UK’s Department for Business, Energy
and Industrial Strategy, Innovate UK,
the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise
Partnership and the European Regional
Development Fund.
w w w. s t e v e n a g e - e v e n - b e t t e r . c o m
61