Eric Simpson, Vice President, Gamma Biosciences
Lindsay Wittmer, Director of Quality, BioMagnetic Solutions
Phil Vanek, Chief Technology Officer, Gamma Biosciences
John T. Kemshead, Chief Operating Officer & Senior Director, Clinical Scientific Affairs, BioMagnetic Solutions
Ted Liberti, Chief Business Officer, BioMagnetic Solutions
Matt Gunnison, President, Gamma Biosciences
MENLO PARK, Calif. and UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., Nov. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Gamma Biosciences, a global life sciences company serving the advanced therapy market, today announced that portfolio company BioMagnetic Solutions (BMS) has signed a lease with GLP Development to build a cGMP-grade production facility in Innovation Park at Penn State. The site is expected to be fully operational in mid-2022 with more than 13,000 square feet of purpose-built office, laboratory, and cGMP manufacturing space. ISO 13485 and ISO 9001:2015 certifications have also been achieved to ensure the highest quality standards for users of the platform.
BioMagnetic Solutions is a next-generation cell selection and bioseparation technology company that develops advanced ferrofluid-based immunomagnetic cell selection systems. Founded in 2011 by Dr. Paul Liberti and Ted Liberti in State College, PA, the company has remained focused on developing proprietary nanoscale ferrofluids for high-performance cell selection and other bioseparation applications from research, to clinical development and commercial scale. In the new space, the team will work to support full commercialization of its proprietary selection technology platform.
“BMS began operations in the State College, Pennsylvania area, and when we originally signed our investment deal, we knew that we would want to continue growing in the state,” said Phil Vanek, CTO at Gamma Biosciences. “When we connected with the Innovation Park and the Center of Excellence in Industrial Biotechnology teams at Penn State, we knew we had found the right location to work on developing this game-changing technology while also contributing to this thriving ecosystem to support education and innovation.”
“Across our university’s $1 billion research enterprise, few areas have as much potential for widespread impact as biotechnology,” Geanie Umberger, Associate Vice President, Industry Research Partnerships at Penn State noted. “It is rewarding to see that BioMagnetic Solutions, a critical part of the Gamma Biosciences portfolio of companies, decided to continue their company’s evolution in State College. The alignment of their business interests with Penn State’s academic, research, workforce, and economic development capabilities, opens the door for a robust technical and operational collaboration between our faculty, staff, students, and the BioMagnetic Solutions team.”
“We are inspired to carry forward the BioMagnetic Solutions legacy to help manufacturers overcome the challenges in scale and security of supply that are hindering true progress,” Ted Liberti, Chief Business Officer at BioMagnetic Solutions commented. “We have demonstrated that this technology is able to support process development and manufacturing efforts for new cell and gene-based medicines at scale, and the next step is working with developers to deliver security and reliability for their processes.”
The state-of-the-art facility will house up to 30 technical, operational, and commercial personnel to support the launch of both Research Use and Clinical versions of the BioMagnetic Solutions proprietary cell separation platform. The product launch is expected in Q1 of 2022.
About Gamma Biosciences
Gamma Biosciences is a leading life sciences company providing products and services to support the development and manufacturing of advanced biologic therapies. Our operating companies are committed to advancing the science and art of bioprocessing by delivering market-ready innovation and expertise that helps our customers, mainly biopharmaceutical companies and contract development and manufacturing companies, safely bring therapies to patients more quickly and efficiently. Gamma is a global company with offices and major manufacturing facilities in North America, the U.K. and Belgium.
About BioMagnetic Solutions
BioMagnetic Solutions (BMS) develops advanced ferrofluid-based immunomagnetic cell selection systems for clinical through to commercial bioseparations applications. The BMS product platform leverages proprietary nano-magnetic ferrofluids that enable superior performance compared with existing immunomagnetic cell separation systems. Visit www.BioMagneticSolutions.com to register interest.
About The Center of Excellence in Industrial Biotechnology
The Center of Excellence in Industrial Biotechnology (CoEIB) stands at the epicenter of advancing a skilled workforce and stimulating research in this rapidly growing field. The CoEIB is part of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences (HUCK), a premier Penn State research institute which brings together faculty and students from nine colleges and 31 departments. The CoEIB leverages the Huck Institutes’ interdisciplinary expertise to achieve its goals, while preparing the next generation of leaders in industrial biotechnology.
Integral to achieving the CoEIB’s goals are the CSL Behring Fermentation and the Sartorius Cell Culture facilities, HUCK major core facilities providing technical expertise and sophisticated equipment. In these state-of-the art environments students learn practical skills on equipment found in major manufacturing facilities, while researchers are conducting their research on the latest instrumentation.
About GLP Development Company
GLP is a leading real estate investment company that acquires, owns, and develops mission-critical office and flex-industrial properties that are typically leased on a long-term basis to corporations, federal agencies, state, and local governments, as well as colleges, universities, and related affiliates.
About Innovation Park
Innovation Park at Penn State offers a setting that serves as an engine for world-renowned research, technology, and talent. Situated on 118 acres connected to the University Park campus, Innovation Park is the center of Penn State’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and offers an onsite network of resources for startups and growing businesses.
SOURCE Gamma Biosciences
