Taiwan Launches Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy Manufacturing Plant

Taiwan's cell and gene therapy sector has reached a new milestone with the inauguration of a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility by Taiwan Cell Manufacturing Company (TCMC), a subsidiary of PerBio. Located in the Hsinchu Biomedical Science Park, the new plant is fully compliant with international PIC/S GMP standards. It is equipped to produce cell therapy products, gene therapy products, and crucial viral vectors. TCMC will offer comprehensive Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) services, covering process development, analytical method establishment, clinical trials, and commercial-scale production. This initiative is designed to accelerate the research and industrialization of innovative therapies for both domestic and international clients, thereby bolstering Taiwan's position in the global advanced medical industry supply chain. TCMC chairman Lin Cheng-lung highlighted that this investment of NT$700 million aims to ensure Taiwan's self-sufficiency in cell and gene therapy, a sector where the country missed earlier opportunities in small molecule drugs, vaccines, and targeted therapies. The facility can produce enough cell and gene therapy agents for 300 patients annually, potentially reducing the need for Taiwanese patients to seek expensive treatments abroad. Lin also mentioned that Taiwan will become the third country globally with a commercially viable CGT GMP facility. TCMC plans to supply high-quality CAR-T agents within Taiwan and target export markets, with an expected entry into the capital market next year to fund further expansion. PerBio is also advancing its own research, with a new lymphoma cell drug in Phase II clinical trials in Taiwan and a small molecule drug for Parkinson's disease, PP021, undergoing clinical trials.

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Taiwan missed out on the previous three waves of pharmaceutical industries: small molecule drugs, vaccines, and targeted drugs. Now, we must have autonomy in cell and gene therapy.