AstraZeneca is expanding its cell therapy footprint in China with plans for a commercial manufacturing and supply base in Shanghai, alongside a new innovation center focused on cell therapy R&D and clinical support.
The company says the new site in the Lingang New Area will manufacture and supply autologous CAR-T therapies for China and other Asian markets, making AstraZeneca the first major global biopharma company to establish end-to-end cell therapy capabilities in the country. The facility is expected to support AZD0120, a BCMA/CD19 dual-target CAR-T candidate developed using Gracell Biotech’s FasTCAR platform, which is currently in clinical trials for multiple myeloma and autoimmune diseases. A second site, the AstraZeneca Gracell Cell Therapy Innovation Center in Zhangjiang, will cover early research, vector and plasmid development, analytical testing, clinical manufacturing, and regulatory support.
The announcement was paired with the launch of a new “Shanghai-UK Life Sciences Innovation Ecosystem Collaboration Program,” involving AstraZeneca, the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission, the University of Glasgow, King’s College London, and HSBC. The initiative aims to connect Shanghai’s biotech sector with UK research and financial networks, with a focus on joint research, clinical studies, startup support, and international commercialization.
AstraZeneca noted that the therapies discussed have not yet been approved in mainland China.
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