Nationwide Children's Hospital will build a biofactory to produce gene therapy material, adding more than 100 jobs, Columbus Business First reported.
The Columbus, Ohio-based hospital will call the facility Andelyn Biosciences, and it will be a for-profit affiliate of Children's.
Children's reportedly is in talks with Ohio State University to house Andelyn in its west campus Innovation District, though other sites are being considered.
The size, design and cost of the facility have not been determined, though it will be much larger than the current 85-employee lab in Children's. All current employees will transfer to Andelyn, and the facility will grow to about 200 jobs, according to Columbus Business First.
The hospital is exploring financial options for the project and is looking for a CEO for Andelyn, which will continue to operate out of its current smaller facility until the new one opens. The hospital hopes for construction to start next year and the facility to open in 2023.
The name Andelyn is a combination of Andrew Kilbarger, the first patient injected with genetic material in a 2006 trial, and Evelyn Villareal, who was treated with the gene therapy drug Zolgensma as an infant, Columbus Business First reported.
Children's has played a big role in the gene therapy field and released 20 gene therapy products last year.
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