REGENXBIO, which has been in Rockville for several years, cut the ribbon Thursday and opened its new Manufacturing Innovation Center.
The clinical-stage biotechnology company strives to improve lives through gene therapy. Its new 25,000-square-foot, $65 million, facility already has 70 employees working on production and quality control and hopes “soon” to deliver its product to patients. Altogether, REGENXBIO has about 400 employees.
Mark Dant gazed at the new building in awe. In 1991, doctors said that his then-three-year-old son would never grow up and would probably die a painful death. “There was no hope, because there was no treatment, no therapy, no hope, no action.”
But that is changing, he said. “I knew there was hope coming in Rockville, Maryland. Here, in this spot, change will come.”
Dant added, “Change is coming. Change is today, and change is right here in this spot.” He said, “I have hope in my heart that Ryan will be with us, and I will have grandchildren.”
President and CEO Ken Mills explained that the company’s mission “is to improve lives through the curative process.”
He noted, “We believe our in-house manufacturing capabilities will enable us to rapidly transition production processes across the product lifecycle, and efficiently advance new AAV Therapeutics from research and early development to clinical programs to commercial readiness, and into the hands of patients who may benefit from these potential one-time administration therapies.”
The company chose Montgomery County for its headquarters because of its “transparent communication about science,” the way it dealt with COVID-19 and its “real action” when it comes to social justice.
“This place gives us a sense of possibility,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “Saving the world, that’s what people in this building do.” He said the center would bring revenue and jobs to the county, but he was very and also said he was excited that REGENXBIO has the “ability to change our health.”
Following the speeches, attendees toured the facility and enjoyed a buffet lunch.
Montgomery County is part of the 4th largest bio-cluster in our nation and REGENXBIO is one of our rising stars. This company employs more than 400 people and are growing in the critical field of gene therapy. Congrats on the expansion. https://t.co/UpasCNuDEj
— County Exec Marc Elrich (@MontCoExec) June 9, 2022
RGX-202, our gene therapy candidate for the treatment of #Duchenne, is designed to deliver a transgene for a novel microdystrophin that includes the functional elements of the C-Terminal domain found in naturally occurring dystrophin. Learn more here: https://t.co/ZtaZzpBl09 pic.twitter.com/3rXOvJURoW
— REGENXBIO (@REGENXBIO) January 19, 2022
