LabCentral, the Cambridge-based research laboratory, is set to open a new incubator focused on "scale-up biomanufacturing" in 2021.
The initiative is fueled by investment from Astellas Pharma, a 14-year-old pharmaceutical company based in Tokyo, and a grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center.
Astellas will put $12.5 million into sponsoring the new incubator, a 100,000-sq.-ft. facility set to feature a core lab space where companies can conduct process development studies and a non-GMP pilot plant, according to a press release. The incubator will be officially known as "LabCentral 238"—a riff on its location at 238 Main St. in Cambridge—and is expected to open in fall 2021.
Astellas will also invest at least $450,000 over three years to become a Gold Sponsor of LabCentral’s existing incubator located at 700 Main St. in Cambridge. That incubator is a three-story shared office and laboratory space that currently hosts 53 biotech and life sciences startups, including Strand Therapeutics, Kytopen, and Glympse Bio. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, LabCentral rents out individual lab benches, lab suites, desks, and private offices. Its benches, hosted in an open shared lab, can be rented at $3,500 to $4,200 monthly, while its private lab suites’ rent prices span from $8,000 to $60,000 monthly.
Astellas CEO Kenji Yasukawa, representatives from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and elected officials including Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito will celebrate the funding and the new initiative in a ceremony in Cambridge at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Astella itself has a major presence in Greater Boston, with more than 200 employees across several research and development areas.
“Astellas has a long-standing commitment to the Boston-area life sciences ecosystem, where world-class talent are dedicated to turning innovative science into value for patients,” Yasukawa said in a press release. “Accelerating early-stage scientific innovation in areas such as cell and gene therapy is a strategic focus for Astellas, and is superbly aligned with the mission of LabCentral to serve as a launching-pad for cutting-edge biotech and life sciences start-ups.”
