AstraZeneca (AZ) has announced plans to establish a commercial cell therapy manufacturing and supply base in the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone, making it the first global biopharmaceutical company to build end-to-end cell therapy capabilities in China. The facility is designed to produce and supply autologous CAR-T cell therapies, including the BCMA/CD19 dual-target candidate AZD0120, for the Chinese and broader Asian markets. Concurrently, the company will set up an innovation centre in Shanghai's Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, dedicated to early-stage research, vector development, analytical testing and clinical manufacturing.

The announcement coincides with the launch of the Shanghai-UK Life Sciences Innovation Ecosystem Cooperation Plan, a multi-party initiative involving AZ, the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission, UK academic institutions, and financial partners. This collaborative program aims to link China's innovation ecosystem with global scientific, research and financial resources to accelerate the development of solutions for global health challenges, support business development, and facilitate the global expansion of innovations originating from Shanghai.

PharmCube's NextBiopharm® database shows that all 41 cell therapy projects in AZ's portfolio are under development in China. Click here to request a free trial for NextBiopharm®.