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The basics:

• Enzene Biosciences opens first U.S. plant in Hopewell
• $50M investment will bring 200 biotech manufacturing jobs
• Facility features EnzeneX continuous biologics technology
• Gov. Murphy, BioNJ highlight NJ’s life sciences leadership

A recent ribbon-cutting event marked a significant moment for the state’s life sciences and innovation sector. Indian biotech company Enzene Biosciences officially began its first foray into the United States by establishing a $50 million state-of-the-art biopharmaceutical manufacturing plant on the Princeton West Innovation Campus in Hopewell.

Enzene is a subsidiary of Alkem Laboratories (one of the top five biopharma companies in India) – and the Hopewell facility is its first location outside of India. The company focuses on developing biologics and biosimilars.

A number of leaders, officials, industry stakeholders and more were on hand for the Sept. 3 ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“They are marking a significant milestone with the launch of their very first U.S.-based manufacturing operation right here in the great State of New Jersey,” said Debbie Hart, president and CEO of BioNJ, the state’s life sciences trade association – who emceed the event. “Could not be more excited or proud for that. The state-of-the-art facility features EnzeneX, a fully connected, continuous manufacturing platform that represents the forefront of biologics production.

“This pioneering technology enables the production of high-quality biologics with precision and efficiency and substantially lowers COGS (cost of goods sold) – driving meaningful advancements in both innovation and access.”

Hart said that the ribbon-cutting represented a significant expansion of New Jersey’s vibrant life sciences sector.

“Bringing with it hundreds of high-quality jobs and further cementing our state’s position as a national and global leader in biopharmaceutical innovation.”

First … but not the last

Sandeep Singh, managing director at Alkem Laboratories and Enzene’s chairman, described it as a meaningful and historic day.

“It is a great honor for me to welcome you all on the inauguration of this plant,” said Singh. “This is our first plant in the U.S. – not the last.”

He acknowledged and thanked the leaders on hand, including Gov. Phil Murphy, First Lady Tammy Murphy, Hopewell Mayor Courtney Peters-Manning, and representatives from the offices of  Sen. Andy Kim and U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson-Coleman.

“Your presence reminds us that biotechnology is a shared vision supported at every level of the government,” said Singh. “Before I continue, I would like to take a moment to recognize Dr. Himanshu Gadgil, CEO of Enzene. His vision, scientific leadership and relentless drive have been at the heart of making this plant a reality. Himanshu, thank you for guiding this journey and inspiring all of us with your commitment.

“Gov. Murphy has been a strong, consistent champion of innovation, science and economic growth. Under his leadership, New Jersey has become one of the most vibrant homes for biotechnology in the world. His belief in creating opportunities, in building communities where ideas and industries thrive, is exactly what allows companies like us to invest boldly, to grow and to create meaningful impact.”

Job creation

Singh said that the facility, which will employ around 50 team members initially – with the plans to scale up to 200 jobs over time, is not just steel and concrete.

“This is months and years of your hard work, your ideas, your perseverance,” said Singh, acknowledging his colleagues and teammates. “This plant represents long nights, problem solving, setbacks overcome, and dreams turned into reality. We are building more than a factory. We are building hope.

“Biotechnology has the power to solve some of the world’s hardest problems, to improve lives, to open doors to the future – and this team right here is proof that with determination, vision and collaboration, nothing is out of reach.”

We are building more than a factory. We are building hope.
– Sandeep Singh, Enzene chairman

Murphy noted the magnitude of opening. “We wear Enzene’s presence in New Jersey as a badge of honor,” said Murphy. “Here we are, one of India’s most promising biotechnology companies placing its first bet in America right here in the great State of New Jersey. I would argue that does not happen by accident. It’s a combination of a whole series of factors: talent, location, the nation’s premier innovation economy, especially in the biopharma/life sciences space.

“But it also has something to do with our deep ties to India, ties of which we are extraordinarily proud. And each day we try to deepen,” said Murphy, who noted that he will again lead an economic mission to India later this month organized by Choose New Jersey. That organization played a huge role in supporting Enzene in the process as it chose the Garden State. Murphy also led an economic mission to India in 2019. Choose New Jersey has two offices in India.

The Murphy administration also established the first-ever New Jersey-India Commission, chaired by Choose New Jersey President and CEO Wesley Mathews. Additionally, Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way led an economic mission to India last year. The governor noted that New Jersey has the largest Indian-American diaspora per capita of any state in the country.

“We’ve taken our relationship with India very seriously from day one,” said Murphy.

“This is an incredible, state-of-the-art facility,” the governor said. “In the fullness of time, it will have hundreds of very high-quality, value-added jobs created. It’s an over $50 million U.S. dollar commitment – and we wear all-of-the-above.”

Advanced manufacturing

As the governor spoke about some of the broader trends and push to onshore manufacturing, he pointed to his recent signing of the $500 million bipartisan Next New Jersey Manufacturing bill that incentivizes manufacturing in the Garden State.

“And when people think of manufacturing, I think they think of the old days – cars, trucks, chemicals. And I’d like to have some of those old days back, believe me,” said Murphy. “But the reality is the manufacturing that we’re talking about in our state and in this century, this moment in time – is embodied by Enzene.

“It’s advanced, highly sophisticated, in this case, bio-life sciences manufacturing. That’s exactly our sweet spot. And we could not be happier to have Enzene part of that story.”

Get a glimpse of the facility here:

“We’re thrilled today to be here with Enzene Biosciences to celebrate the opening of their very first biotech manufacturing facility in the United States right here at the Innovation West Campus in Hopewell Township, New Jersey,” said Peters-Manning.

“There are lots of exciting things happening in Hopewell Township, where we work really hard to be business-friendly and streamline permitting and zoning.

“Our town, with its deep history yet forward-looking attitude, is proud to welcome Enzene today and celebrate this grand opening,” the mayor continued. “We look forward to continuing this partnership for many years to come.”

NJ was ‘an automatic choice’

As Gadgil opened his remarks, he thanked the governor for his leadership and spoke about the journey and process of selecting New Jersey. “When we decided to come to the United States and set up a manufacturing here, we went from coast-to-coast,” said Gadgil. “From Boston – nothing against Boston – all the way to North Carolina. And then on the West Coast, from Seattle to San Diego.

“But New Jersey was an automatic choice. And it’s really through your leadership of setting this state up for innovation, for life sciences, that made it possible. And we were welcomed – not just welcomed – but we felt that this was the home where we should be.”

He then thanked the mayor for her leadership and for welcoming the company to the Hopewell community. “And we look forward to contributing back to the community, being a great citizen company of this great, thriving community – and seeing how we can contribute the best,” said Gadgil.

He also spoke about the company’s journey to this point – starting out about a decade ago to make these medicines more affordable in India, noting how difficult of a challenge affording them is for a majority of the population.

“So, we said – why don’t we disrupt that and through technology, how can we make these medicines more affordable for patients in India?” Gadgil explained. “That’s how the journey started. That’s how Enzene came about.”

Lower carbon footprint

The company produces affordable biosimilars (affordable, near-identical versions of existing biologic medicines) to treat patients in a wide range of therapeutic areas, including oncology, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases; bone health and osteoporosis; hematology; ophthalmology and more.

Enzene also noted its own twist on Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization – describing itself as a Continuously Innovative Development and Manufacturing Organization.

The New Jersey facility was initially 54,000 square feet but with growing client needs, Enzene expanded to 80,000 square feet, adding new manufacturing suites, development labs and storage capacity. The facility, currently aligned with client requirements for non-GMP production, is fully on track to begin GMP supply by the end of the year.

It has also been designed to comply with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture – and is set to be the CDMO (or CIDMO) that will be approved by the USDA to manufacture biologic CHO-based (Chinese hamster ovary) animal health products as well.

“So, in this small room, we can manufacture tons of product in a year. Which otherwise you will need a manufacturing facility as big as this whole campus to achieve,” Gadgil explained. “And that’s the beauty of what we’ve created. It not only addresses the cost of these medicines – but also from a sustainability perspective, we are probably 50% to 60% lower in carbon footprint.

“We are going to keep this campus clean.”

Gadgil described the Hopewell hub as a great area for innovation – not just in New Jersey, but the entire United States. “I feel this is going to really evolve into one of the top innovation centers in the country. I’m pretty sure about that.”

How we got here

During a post ribbon-cutting press conference, the company leaders as well as Bill Noonan, chief business development officer for Choose New Jersey, spoke about a number of topics, including more on Enzene’s decision to plant the flag here in Jersey and how that relationship and engagement with Choose New Jersey, as well as with officials, took shape.

[T]he kind of support and help that we got from [Choose NJ] was incredible. That was one of the major catalysts in us, not just being here, but also being here at the ribbon-cutting today.
– Himanshu Gadgil, Enzene CEO

Gadgil said that around 2021, during COVID, was when Singh said to him that they should go to the U.S. and that aforementioned search began. “What we saw in New Jersey was with Choose New Jersey – and they were incredible,” Gadgil told NJBIZ, in response to the question about further insight into the decision-making and recounting visits to other states. “They wanted economy to come into New Jersey. They wanted tech and innovative companies to come into New Jersey.

“And the kind of support and help that we got from them was incredible. That was one of the major catalysts in us, not just being here, but also being here at the ribbon-cutting today.”

“I thank you, Himanshu. He’s right. He went both coasts up and down. It was a company we wanted to win. What Choose New Jersey does is we help them identify a location. We introduce them to JLL (who played a key role in the process, representing the property and facilitating the leasing process). We help them find the design firm, the construction firm,” Noonan explained. “We help them find an attorney, a real estate attorney, an immigration attorney.

“We introduce them to universities so that they can get support within local universities. We helped them with research that they were looking for. And then we did a press release for them two years ago when they did their first announcement that they were coming here.”

Why ‘Choose NJ’?

Noonan said as he travels and talks to folks around the globe, Enzene is the example he uses about why to “Choose New Jersey.”

“And how we support companies that come to New Jersey. Enzene is the company I talk about,” said Noonan. “A company out of Pune, looked around the country – and they needed our support. Because when you come to the United States, you don’t know where to go, what to do, what support’s available from you.

“We introduced them to the state folks, as well. So, all of those state programs, all of those things that we did – we held their hand. And as Himanshu said, they grabbed our hand. And we appreciate that.”

Noonan said that they used all of the services that Choose New Jersey has to offer. “They are a great story for us. And we asked Himanshu to tell our story – and he does a great job of telling it,” said Noonan. “So, we are so happy to have them here and to participate in this event. The fact that we are here today – after four years ago walking around this campus together – really means a lot to me.”