A German biologics company has chosen a Boxborough site for a $150-million virotherapy manufacturing center spanning 110,000 square feet in what the company says is a major expansion of its United States operations.
Vibalogics, a contract development and manufacturing organization, was selected in May by Janssen Pharmaceutical Cos., a Johnson & Johnson company, as one of its manufacturing partners for its investigational coronavirus vaccine.
The company couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Monday morning, so it was unclear whether it would manufacture the coronavirus vaccine at the new facility, or if the Boxborough site would be used for other purposes. In its announcement, Vibalogics said it hopes to begin operations in the second half of 2021.
“Boston is the largest global hub for cell and gene therapy R&D, so there is also a great pool of local talent and expertise to draw from to strengthen the Vibalogics team,” the team’s CEO, Tom Hochuli, said in a statement.
Vibalogics will take Cisco’s former East Coast research and development facility at 1414 Massachusetts Ave. right near the interchange with I-495. The site is expected to create 100 jobs initially, and reach 250 employees within four years, the company said. The building spans 292,000 square feet, according to a site listing by Lincoln Property Co., and includes medical laboratories and a data center, among other features.
As a virotherapy firm, Vibalogics specializes in the production of oncolytic viruses, meaning viruses that kill cancer cells, as well as viral vector vaccines and viral vector gene therapy products.
Jason Palitsch, the executive director of the 495/MetroWest Partnership, called Vibalogics’ plan great news for the region, which he says has a skilled workforce, particularly in life sciences and biotechnology, that has long attracted the industry.
“We’re pleased but not surprised,” Palitsch said of the news of Vibalogics’ facility.
The life sciences sector is expected to be resilient during the pandemic, he said, with MetroWest offering firms an opportunity to be close to Boston but with significant savings on land costs.
