Johnson&Johnson

Janssen invests in a European production site for cell therapy in Belgium.

Janssen will produce innovative cell therapies in Belgium. The Tech Lane Science Park in Ghent will be the location of Janssen's first European state-of-the-art facilities for the production of CAR-T therapy. The facilities are being developed in cooperation with Legend Biotech to enable the future production and supply of CAR-T therapy for the treatment of certain types of cancer in Europe.

Cell therapy to treat cancer
Cell therapy offers a new approach to fighting cancer cells by using the power of the patient's own immune system. Chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy (CAR-T therapy) is a specific form of cell therapy. It is a complex and highly personalized technology in which a patient's own T-cells are extracted from the blood and reprogrammed to target and eradicate cancer cells, making CAR-T therapy a treatment tailored to the individual patient.

"This is an important investment that confirms our ongoing commitment to research and development in Belgium and Europe to improve the lives of patients around the world."

Kris Sterkens

CEO JANSSEN BELGIUM

The innovative power of Belgium
The decision to build the new European production facility in Belgium is a recognition of the unique local life sciences ecosystem, which is highly regarded within the global innovative life sciences environment. The development and production of transformative therapies such as CAR-T cell therapy require great innovative strength and strong collaboration. By choosing Belgium, we are building on the significant presence and expertise of Janssen in the field of science and production, as well as the strong local know-how, infrastructure and talent. The site is expected to be operational in 2023.

"The arrival of the CAR-T production facility is a recognition of the strong Belgian Life Sciences ecosystem that is highly regarded as a world-class biopharma hub"

Sonja Willems

MANAGING DIRECTOR JANSSEN BENELUX

Oncology: Janssen's area of expertise
Oncology is one of Janssen's areas of expertise. Oncology is the medical term for knowledge about cancer and the treatment of people with cancer. The prevention, treatment and cure of cancer are complex. Each type of cancer is different. Despite impressive progress in treatment options within the medical world, cancer still turns many people's lives upside down every day. Read more about our activities in the field of oncology.

Continuous manufacturing – an improved production process

Janssen in Belgium is striving to boost its production capacities and processes in order to anticipate patient needs more quickly. For some of our products, we have made the transition to continuous manufacturing technology. This is considered a revolutionary technology in the pharmaceutical sector. In 2016, Janssen was the first pharmaceutical company to receive FDA approval to switch from batch production to continuous manufacturing.

Janssen in Belgium invested 21 million euros in the new continuous manufacturing technology. It will help us produce our drugs more quickly and respond more effectively to the demand for important new drugs. This means that considerably fewer raw materials are needed in the production of medicines. The total lead time is halved and the quality of the product can be continuously measured and monitored.

Optimal allocation of resources
The continuous manufacturing technology was developed in collaboration with Ghent University and Rutgers University. This new technology enables us to shorten production and test cycle times, reduce waste and environmental impact and decrease process risks. And all this while retaining the existing product quality in delivering innovative therapies to patients. In this way, the technology is hugely important for the future of pharmaceutical production, which can reduce the processing times and footprint of manufacturing facilities.

Reduced complexity
Traditionally, the production of medicines in the pharmaceutical industry is mainly carried out by means of batch processes. This is in contrast to the food industry and the petrochemicals and chemicals sectors, where continuous manufacturing is already commonplace. The transition to continuous manufacturing systems will be one of the most important changes in the pharmaceutical industry in the next ten years. Technology will make it possible to simplify the production process and to reduce costs and time to market.

Quality is of paramount importance
Both methods of production are subject to the same quality control standards, but with continuous manufacturing, we have ways to automate the process and monitor it in real-time, adding quality assurance that we did not have before. Another major advantage is that we have the flexibility to produce larger or smaller quantities to meet the demand.