Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) is a designation given to facilities that are qualified to manufacture products ranging from food and beverages to medical devices and pharmaceuticals, in this case biopharmaceuticals. Such practices ensure the quality of these therapeutic drugs. While there isn’t a plan to manufacture biopharmaceuticals at commercial scale, having a cGMP facility will enable NIIMBL researchers to test new technologies and provide hands-on training for individuals interested in this growing industry. 

The envisioned facility, tentatively named the Securing American Biomanufacturing Research and Education (SABRE) Center, will enable the demonstration of manufacturing innovations in a production-relevant environment on a wide variety of cutting-edge biopharmaceuticals, such as gene therapies, mRNA vaccines and other biopharmaceuticals. The goal is to provide a collaborative space for the biopharmaceutical ecosystem to accelerate the development of novel manufacturing technologies and approaches into widespread commercial adoption.

As a training ground for students, such a center will help ensure the nation’s future workforce has the relevant technical skills, hands-on training and expertise with equipment and processes that most closely mirror biopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.

“We have the opportunity to lay the groundwork for workforce development training for manufacturing and for research for this century, to keep us at the absolute forefront of global biopharmaceutical manufacturing,” said U.S. Senator Chris Coons, calling the $230 million invested in NIIMBL to-date a great return on investment. 

The cGMP facility could also lead to expanded partnerships with other institutions and the local biopharmaceutical industry to attract even more manufacturing jobs to the area.

“Delaware’s ability to be a recognized leader and effective partner really reflects the excellence we have within our community, our people and our organization,” said Kelvin Lee, founding director of NIIMBL, UD’s interim vice president for research, scholarship and innovation, and the Gore Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. “Leadership and effective partnership also are hallmarks of our federal delegation who work tirelessly in support of all Delawareans.”

NIIMBL, which now has more than 200 partners from industry, academia and government, is housed in the Ammon Pinizzotto Biopharmaceutical Innovation Center on UD’s STAR Campus. It is bordered by other buildings and laboratories full of promising research in health care, biotechnology, financial technology, biomedical engineering, data science and analytics, agriculture, advanced materials and more.

U.S. Sen. Tom Carper remarked on the significant historical connection to manufacturing on the 272-acre STAR Campus, which sits on the former grounds of the Chrysler automotive assembly plant, built in 1951. It was a fitting nod to the past, even as we look to the future.

“This is where tanks were built to help the war effort, and then automobiles were made here until about 15 years ago,” Carper said. “We’re not building cars in Delaware anymore, but it turns out we’re very good at coming up with ideas for pharmaceuticals, whether it’s to take on a pandemic or dementia or any number of other maladies we face.”