CN
From participating in Moonshot for Unicorns to raise awareness for a girl's treatments, to fundraising for the Ronald McDonald house, Andelyn Biosciences seeks to help the community by advancing Columbus in the field of gene therapy.
Andelyn Biosciences held their grand opening for their new facility at 1180 Arthur E. Adams Dr. at the west edge of Fred Beekman Park in Ohio State University's Carmenton innovation district on its west campus with a party consisting of food trucks, live music, games, face painting, guest speakers and more.
A contract development and manufacturing organization in advance therapy, Andelyn Biosciences, specializes in gene therapy, said CEO Wade Macedone. It was previously a part of the Abigail Wexner Research Institute, but split two years ago to become central Ohio’s first commercial-scale production facility devoted to cell and gene therapies. The facility was part of a $200 million investment, The Dispatch previously reported.
The company was named after two patients that participated in crucial clinical trials at Nationwide Children's Hospital. Construction of the new 185,000-square-foot facility began in November 2000.
"We do work with large biologic companies, like the Sareptas and the Biogens of the world, which Sarepta got great news today with their approval," Macedone said. "So that'll help the industry, that'll help the patients."
The federal Food and Drug Administration gave accelerated approval for use of a gene therapy drug, Elevidys, from Sarepta as a treatment for children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy Thursday. The treatment has only been approved for ambulatory patients ages 4 and 5 with a confirmed mutation in the DMD gene until more evidence is gathered, but according to Macedone, this achievement benefits the industry as a whole.
The company's Columbus location allows Andelyn to work closely with the Abigail Wexner Research Institute along with Ohio State, Macedone said.
While a part of the Agigail Wexner Research Institute, Andelyn Biosciences was only able to go through phase one and two of gene therapy trials, testing a small group of individuals with a disease and then slightly increasing that number. With the new facility allowing them to expand to phase three, they are able to test larger populations with a disease and determine if the treatment is effective, according to The American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy website.
"We have access to patients, we have access to the clinics, we have access to innovations that you just, just wouldn't have anywhere else," Macedone said.
Andelyn Biosciences is set to make Columbus a hub and leader in gene therapy, the modifying of genetic code within a product, Macedone said. Gene therapy is a developing field that is gaining more attention and the approval of Serepta's gene therapy treatment will only accelerate this increasing popularity, he added.
Macedone said that Columbus attracts a lot of talent and is the perfect location for their facility.
"We're growing in popularity, we're growing in name, we're growing in expertise, which is bringing a lot of attention to central Ohio," Macedone said.
The Andelyn Biosciences facility has about 200 jobs, including scientist and technicians, Macedone said. The facility has employees of all education levels such as high school diplomas, associate degrees and Ph.Ds and began operating in their new facility last October.
"We commissioned the facility in order to do their product and then we recommissioned the facility after that to the commercial level, just so their clinical trials could continue," Macedone said.
The last team to move to the new facility is the quality control team, and once they transfer from the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at the end of June, they will be running full-time at the new facility as well.
Macedone said the individuals at Andelyn Biosciences have a strong connection to the community and their patients.
"The organization is not just a job to them, it's a, it's a lifestyle," Macedone said.
(Source: The Columbus Dispatch)
