The Basel-based pharmaceutical company Novartis is investing a total of 100 million Swiss francs for the development of next-generation biotherapeutics at its campus in Basel. This is part of a “multi-million-dollar investment” that aims to position Novartis at the forefront of biologicals development, further details of which can be found in a press release.
Accordingly, Novartis will seek to create a scientific environment focused on the development of biologics over the next few years. The plans also include capacity and competence expansions at existing locations in Slovenia and Austria. The biologics center at the Novartis Campus in Basel is designed to function as a “center for innovative research and a hub for talented scientists”. The new center is expected to replace an existing facility in the Klybeck area.
At its state-of-the-art competence center, Novartis will seek to further advance collaborations between the areas of research and development in addition to accelerating the transition to initial clinical trials. “We are building the scientific environment necessary to bring these complex biologic compounds from the bench through development in an integrated, seamless and rapid fashion”, comments Reto Fischer, Head of Technical Research Division, Global Drug Development at Novartis, in the press release. Just under half of all new drug approvals in the recent past “have enormous potential to address unmet need across a wide range of diseases”, Fischer adds.
Biologics are highly effective drugs that are manufactured as part of sophisticated genetic engineering processes to specifically target the immune system, for example in patients suffering from cancer and autoimmune diseases.
From October 3, the Novartis Campus site will also be open to the public.
