US biopharmaceutical company Gilead plans Hoofddorp production unit

Cancer cells. Photo: Depositphotos.com
Cancer cells. Photo: Depositphotos.com

California-based biopharmaceuticals group Gilead plans to build a production unit in Hoofddorp near Schiphol airport, the Financieele Dagblad reported on Wednesday.

The facility will produce cell therapies used against cancer and will serve all of Europe from 2020, the paper said. It will employ at least 300 people.

Gilead was set up in 1987 and booked 2017 revenues of more than $28bn. Its primary therapeutic focus continues to be in antiviral medicines and the company approval of cell therapy treatments in Europe later this year, the FD said.

The cell therapy developed by Gilead and its subsidiary Kite was designed for the treatment of until now incurable forms of lymphoma. Gilead expects its CAR-T cell therapy will eventually be used in the treatment of many other forms of cancer.

Gilead said it is essential to have a European production unit because treatments are tailor made for individual patients and speed of delivery is crucial.

Gilead’s subsidiary Kite acquired T-Cell Factory, an Amsterdam biotech firm three years ago and paid $425 million for a 15% equity stake in Belgo-Dutch biotech firm Galapagos in 2016.

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