ProBio Opens Cell and Gene Therapy Center of Excellence in New Jersey

The announcement from ProBio, GenScript’s CDMO arm, that it has inaugurated a flagship Cell and Gene Therapy Center of Excellence in New Jersey is not just another ribbon-cutting; it's a strategic move with implications for the entire biotech ecosystem.

The Hopewell facility, purpose-built at 128,000 square feet, offers GMP manufacturing capacity for plasmid DNA and viral vectors including AAV (adeno-associated virus) and LVV (lentiviral vector), both of which are central to the expanding pipeline of gene and cell therapy candidates. With clinical-grade AAV production slated for Q3 2025 and LVV to follow in Q1 2026, ProBio is positioning itself to support the full arc of therapeutic development, from early-stage process development to clinical readiness, all under one roof.

This is a welcome and timely development. Demand for high-quality GMP vector production continues to outpace supply, particularly as more biotechs advance into IND-enabling studies. In viral vector manufacturing, the bottleneck is not always scientific, it’s infrastructural. Facilities like this don’t just add capacity; they inject flexibility, speed, and resilience into the pipeline.

Allen Guo, CEO of ProBio, captured this sentiment well: “This is not just a new facility. It is a beacon of hope for patients waiting for cures.” And he's right. The center’s proximity to major research hospitals and precision medicine hubs in the Northeast will likely accelerate trial enrollment and tech transfer, giving developers a geographic and operational edge.

Additionally, there is an economic impact that should be noted here. With over 110 highly skilled jobs being created, the Hopewell site anchors New Jersey even more firmly as a nexus of advanced biomanufacturing. As John Coelho from NJEDA says, “The opening of ProBio will be a significant enhancement to the cell and gene biologics development and biomanufacturing ecosystem.”

As we shift from the era of biologics to the era of curative gene and cell therapies, infrastructure like ProBio’s Hopewell facility will be the backbone. The technologies are exciting, but it's the execution at scale, and under GMP, that will determine how many patients actually benefit.

ProBio has laid a strong brick in that foundation. Let’s hope many more follow.