Cell and Gene Therapy Manufacturing Facility at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre engaged DesignInc to design and deliver the expansion of a biomedical manufacturing site within the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) building where CAR T-cells and other ‘living’ cancer therapies are made at commercial scale.

The new facility supports clinical trials and commercial production of cell-based therapies in a shell space on Level 9 converted into new clean rooms with OGTR PC2 certification. Fully compliant with PICS, the expanded GMP-grade large-scale manufacturing facility operated by Cell Therapies Pty Ltd can produce up to 2,000 patient doses a year, an increase of 400% from previous capacity.

Accommodating over 75 biomedical professionals, the works included new research and administration areas, meeting rooms, and a breakout space in the building’s light-filled central atrium to create a healthy workplace.

The facility, funded by the Commonwealth Government, supports Peter Mac’s Centre of Excellence in Cellular Immunotherapy’s Development Program pipeline to accelerate Australian-developed IP into the clinic. The project also received additional funding and support from Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation.

The project’s success is partly founded on the original VCCC design, which had allowed provision for future high-tech possibilities.

Emer Denneny
Associate, DesignInc Melbourne