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Cellares is gearing up to unveil a major investment it is making here in the great Garden State.

As NJBIZ reported in August, the San Francisco-headquartered cell therapy manufacturer secured $255 million in Series C funding to launch a commercial-scale Integrated Development and Manufacturing Organization (IDMO) Smart Factory at 95 Corporate Drive in Bridgewater – the building formerly occupied by Pfizer. The 118,000-square-foot facility will be dedicated to clinical and industrial-scale cell therapy manufacturing.

According to the company, the Smart Factory is expected to create up to 350 local jobs. It will seamlessly integrate advanced robotics, purpose-built technology and interconnected software that will be capable of producing 40,000 cell therapy batches per year.

Cellares notes that output is greater than what is currently possible via conventional contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMO) operating out of similar sized facilities.

The Smart Factory, the company said, will allow for developers to scale up manufacturing to get life-saving cell therapies to patients as soon as possible.

“The opening of this facility marks a tremendous milestone towards Cellares’ mission of accelerating access to life-saving cell therapies to meet total global patient demand,” said John Tomtishen Sr., vice president and general manager of the Bridgewater IDMO Smart Factory, in a press release. “We look forward to partnering with the state and local community to create 350 job opportunities for highly talented individuals as we bring the facility online to manufacture tens of thousands of cell therapy drug products per year.”

Opening day

Cellares will host a ribbon-cutting event with local officials and stakeholders Jan. 29 to mark the opening of the new facility.

“We’re excited to welcome Cellares to the life sciences hub of New Jersey,” said Somerset County Commissioner Shanel Robinson. “These are the kinds of businesses that our economic development team is committed to bringing to Somerset County.”

“Not only does Cellares join a thriving life sciences industry here, but they reinforce the fact that many of the cures needed by the world come from Somerset County,” said Jessica Paolini, manager of economic development for Somerset County. “We are investing in infrastructure critical to the growth and retention of the life sciences, including a recent $3 million investment towards a new training program at Raritan Valley Community College, which will produce the talent needed by cell and gene therapy companies like Cellares.”

NJBIZ will be on hand for Monday’s ribbon cutting. Stay tuned for photos and further details on this exciting new project and from that event.