Construction of CAR T facility in Leiden has started

On the 28^th of October, Bristol Myers Squibb celebrated the start of the construction of its first European cell therapy facility at the Leiden Bio Science Park in the Netherlands. The site will be BMS’ first cell therapy facility in Europe, and the fifth in the world.

“This site represents an investment in our future as a company, the evolution of our pipeline and therapies, and the next stage of innovative treatments for patients. Leiden reflects how we are truly fulfilling our vision to transform patients’ lives through science”, says Sally Ann McNab, General Manager, VP at BMS Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

The celebration event was concluded with Arjen Schippers, Program Head of Europe Cell Therapy Facility, raising the flag on the new site: “Like the first man on the moon, I am really honoured to plant the BMS flag in Europe. Let this be the symbol of our commitment to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines to help patients prevail over serious diseases.”

Bringing personalised medicines closer to patients in Europe

The new production center is the first in Europe from BMS, and the fifth worldwide, which will enable the company to bring innovative cell therapies to patients around the world, including in Europe. Leiden will help reduce the turnaround time, saving valuable time for patients in Europe with certain aggressive blood cancers.

The facility will entail the latest technology and cutting-edge production equipment, with capabilities for multi-product manufacturing in cell therapy. Manufacturing cell therapies is both operationally and technically complex as they are manufactured uniquely for each individual patient, using a patient’s own T cells as the starting material. Each batch of engineered T cells is developed and then infused back to the original cancer patient. Reliable quality supply and rapid turnaround time are critical in this process.

Conveniently located in the Leiden Bio Science Park

The Netherlands has everything that is needed to become the pharmaceutical hub of Europe, the 'Boston by the North Sea’. Leiden Bio Science Park offers a stimulating international community for innovation, cooperation and is a dynamic environment for life science professionals. The site is conveniently located near Schiphol airport and to the country’s two largest cities, Amsterdam and Rotterdam, providing convenient access to transportation options for shipping patient cells.  

Over 500 job opportunities for industry talent

The facility is expected to be completed and operational by the end of 2024, and offers over 500 job opportunities for industry talent from across Europe. “I am looking for 499 colleagues to join me on this journey. If you know someone, drop me an e-mail”, Arjen Schippers stated. From manufacturing, to quality, logistics, and engineering: visit  www.careers.bms.com for all job opportunities.