A subsidiary of a South Korea based biopharmaceutical corporation is bringing a manufacturing facility to College Station.
A ceremonial groundbreaking took place Tuesday morning at Matica Biotechnology, which is converting space at Providence Park north of the Academy store. Longtime residents will also know the property as the former Westinghouse building.
Chief commercial officer Andrew Arrage says their clients come to them with candidates for new vaccines and therapies. Matica then helps their clients become compliant with the FDA and other regulatory agencies.
Arrage says College Station and Bryan have developed a very good reputation for being bio-tech friendly, what he described as the “academic prowess” at Texas A&M, and government funding.
Arrage says the facility will be up and running by the end of the year.
Matica currently has 20 local employees. Arrage is looking to double that by the time manufacturing begins.
Click below to hear a visit with Andrew Arrage and WTAW’s Bill Oliver, and a recording of the groundbreaking program.
News release and video from the Brazos Valley Economic Development Corporation:
Matica Biotechnology, Inc. (Matica Bio), a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in the clinical and commercial production of cell and gene therapies, ceremonially broke ground today on its new 25,000 ft2 facility which will house its GMP virus production suites, development laboratories and company offices. The new building will be located in Providence Park at 2501 Earl Rudder Freeway in College Station.
College Station Mayor Karl Mooney attended the event, along with members of the College Station City Council, Bryan Mayor Andrew Nelson, Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Glen Brewer, Brazos Valley EDC Board Chair Mike Gentry, and Brazos Valley EDC President/CEO Matt Prochaska.
“The global demand for virus products continues to outpace the capacity for production under the stringent Good Manufacturing Practices or GMPs required by regulatory agencies for human use”, stated Matica Bio CEO Dr. Byung Se So. “Our new facility will help to close that gap by establishing state-of-the-art, modular virus production cleanrooms integrated with the latest vector technologies to maximize speed, flexibility and efficiency throughout our clients’ product development cycle.”
Dr. So continued, “The Brazos Valley area, including College Station, is rapidly becoming one of the most important centers of biotechnology in the country, and it was an easy decision for our company to locate here. The availability of a skilled workforce along with the influence of the Texas A&M University System, will support the level of rapid job growth that we expect throughout the next few years.”
Mr. Timothy Lutz, Matica Bio’s Chief Manufacturing Officer, commented, “Matica Biotechnology is excited to be setting up our operations here in College Station. We look to be active part of our community and are excited to hire a number of local professionals, both for the construction as well as the operational phases. We are planning on utilizing state-of-the-art equipment, processes, and materials to be in a new class of CDMO’s.”
“We are honored to welcome Matica Biotechnology to the Brazos Valley as they strive to manufacture solutions for the health challenges of today and tomorrow,” said Brazos Valley Economic Development Corporation President/CEO Matt Prochaska. “A hallmark of our region is its legacy of solving problems facing the world, and Matica Bio’s arrival advances that again. Working with their team in the United States and South Korea has been a pleasure, and we offer the resources and expertise of our community to help them succeed and grow.”
Matica Bio’s GMP facility is scheduled to open in Q3 2021 utilizing a bioreactor-based platform, with access to GMP production slots beginning in early 2022.
