Bluebird bio acquires Durham, NC, manufacturing site for lentiviral vector production

bluebird bio said today it has acquired a manufacturing facility in Durham, NC, from an undisclosed seller for $11.5 million, with the goal of producing lentiviral vectors for the company’s cell and gene therapies. Those therapies, bluebird said, include the cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy treatment Lenti-D, as well as LentiGlobin for transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia and severe sickle cell disease and multiple myeloma treatments bb2121 and bb21217. bluebird said the acquisition was part of a “significant” investment in manufacturing infrastructure that includes expanding in-house expertise, creating an extensive manufacturing network, and increasing manufacturing capacity.