CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting Services, a Covington, Ky.-based medical research organization, says it is planning to open a manufacturing facility. The company says it will initially focus on manufacturing viral vectors, which are used to create vaccines and are used in cell and gene therapy.
The company has not decided yet where to build the plant, which it estimates will be about 40,000 square feet. The company made the announcement at a presentation earlier this month during a conference on regenerative cell medicine.
As advancements in personalized medicine and targeted regenerative therapies have accelerated, the company says the demand for manufacturing capacity has increased, creating a manufacturing shortage.
“We see major challenges that could delay medical advancements and ultimately impact patient lives,” says Tim Schroeder, CEO. “If capacity maintains at current levels, manufacturing shortages have the potential to significantly delay future developments in personalized medicine and treatments and cures for disease.”
The decision to enter the manufacturing arena follows other recent company announcements about expanding laboratory services to support rare disease and cell and gene therapy research.
In March, CTI said it would create a laboratory business services unit to provide molecular, cellular, and bioanalytical testing, specimen kit building services and a repository to collect and store biospecimens for research. The expansion will occupy 37,000 square feet of the Baldwin 500 Building in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Walnut Hills.
In July, it announced the acquisition of Dynakin, a contract research organization based in Spain with locations elsewhere in Europe.