GE Healthcare Life Sciences Opens Cell And Gene Therapy Asia Technology Center In Shanghai

Building GE Healthcare's first cell and gene therapy laboratory in Asia, the center aims to enable new developments and commercialization of precision medicine in Asia.

To accelerate the clinical transformation and delivery of cellular and gene therapies, GE Healthcare Life Sciences announced the establishment of the new Cell and Gene Therapy Asia Technology Center at the GE China Technology Center in Zhangjiang, Pudong, Shanghai. The center, aligned to GE Healthcare’s Fast Trak China offering, marks another milestone in GE Healthcare Life Sciences’ effort to accelerate precision health through technology and services such as process development for commercial-scale cell and gene therapy manufacturing.

The 1800 square-meter facility has been designed according to BSL2 classification, which includes dedicated spaces for cell and gene therapy development. It will offer a comprehensive automated and digitalized ecosystem as well as technologies, training, and process development services to assist biotech and biopharma companies in their research and manufacturing. The center aims to ultimately support biopharmaceutical companies and scientific organizations in making strides toward shortening commercialization cycles.

"GE Healthcare believes in ‘Care First,’ which centers on industry innovation and collaboration to drive patient health. We have been committed to doing our part to address major health and medical challenges by developing our technical centers and application experts, as well as collaborating with more partners on R&D efforts to establish mature standardized operating procedures and new clinical applications. Through programs like Fast Trak China, we will continue supporting pharmaceutical companies in accelerating the clinical transformation and commercialization of cell and gene therapy products, which will ultimately benefit more patients with more accurate diagnoses and treatments,” said Li Qing, General Manager of Life Sciences, GE Healthcare, Greater China.

During the event, GE Healthcare Life Sciences also announced a strategic partnership with Gracell Bio, an emerging Chinese company specializing in cell and gene therapy development and service platforms. Through this collaboration, GE Healthcare will provide Gracell Bio with process development services, via the new center, aimed to support the development of a closed, automated, and effective manufacturing process for CAR T cell therapy and other new cell and gene therapy products.

About Fast Trak

GE’s Fast Trak Service Centers are specifically designed to help biopharmaceutical and cell and gene therapy manufacturers increase their process productivity, reduce cost and enable them to bring their product to market faster. The centers are equipped with the latest technologies for bioprocessing in an environment and at a scale that closely replicates the real-life industrial setting. For over 30 years, thousands of customers world-wide have been trained by GE’s experienced Fast Trak leadership teams, giving customers access to industry expertise encompassing process and analytical development, process scale-up, cell and gene therapy expertise, as well as manufacture of drug substances for use in toxicology studies or Phase I and II clinical testing.

GE Healthcare has Fast Trak Centers in South Korea, the USA, Sweden, India, and China and satellite Fast Trak Centers in Turkey, Japan and Singapore. Worldwide, more than 500 customers attend standard Fast Trak courses every year, with training available in local languages. In addition, there are customized courses that are built upon request and tailored according to customer needs.