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Life sciences property along the Interstate 270 corridor “cells” itself.
Biotechnology developer and manufacturer BioFactura is expanding operations at its facility north of Washington, D.C. The firm signed a new lease with landlord St. John Properties for an additional 12,000 square feet of space at Riverside Technology Park, a 70-acre business complex in Frederick, Md. BioFactura has occupied just over 5,500 square feet since 2015 at the park at 8435 Progress Drive.
The firm, founded in Rockville, Md. in 2003, specializes in biosimilar drugs and biodefenses — specifically therapeutics for Marburg virus and smallpox. The company received a contract from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority in 2019 for “advanced development” of its smallpox therapeutic. The contract is valued at nearly $80 million across several contract options, one of which was activated in October for $16 million.
To that end, BioFactura needs the additional space. The company expects to employ more than 50 engineers, scientists, manufacturing specialists and other professionals at the facility once it opens this fall, according to company officials.
“The design and layout of 8435 Progress Drive has allowed us to establish and maintain our good manufacturing practice standards, which has contributed immensely to the success, growth and value of our company,” BioFactura President and CEO Darryl Sampey said in a statement.
More than 80 biotechnology and life sciences companies, BioFactura among them, are located within the I-270 corridor north of D.C., often referred to as the “Biotech Corridor.” The National Cancer Institute and Frederick National Lab for Cancer Research are adjacent to Riverside Tech Park, and biological defense and medical research center Fort Detrick is just a few miles west of the park.
“The I-270 corridor is ranked in the top five places nationally for the recruitment of life sciences talent, and that played a major role in our original decision to move to Frederick,” BioFactura’s Chairman of the Board Dr. Jeffrey Hausfeld said in a statement. “As a manufacturer and distributor of pharmaceuticals, the building’s flexible layout, including rear-loading capabilities, perfectly suits our needs.”
Nick Trombola can be reached at NTrombola@commercialobserver.com.
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