Cellares expands cell therapy manufacturing to Europe with new Netherlands facility

NETHERLANDS—California-based Cellares, a contract drugmaker recognized for pioneering cell therapy manufacturing through its innovative factory-in-a-box system, has announced plans to establish its European presence with a significant facility in the Netherlands.

The company recently secured a long-term lease for manufacturing and office space at Leiden Bio Science Park, marking a strategic expansion beyond its current North American operations.

According to the company’s January 12 announcement, this move will enable Cellares to serve both European and international partners more effectively.

The lease encompasses approximately 105,000 square feet of laboratory and office space within the Nexus building, a cutting-edge life sciences facility currently under construction at Leiden Bio Science Park.

Developers expect the Nexus building to become operational during the first quarter of 2026, after which Cellares will begin a phased fit-out process to customize the space for its specialized manufacturing needs.

The company anticipates completing this preparation work and commencing operations at the site later in 2026.

Beyond serving as a production hub, the new facility will also function as Cellares’ European headquarters, positioning the company to better support regional demand for cell therapy manufacturing services.

The site will house the company’s signature technology: the fully automated Cell Shuttle production platform alongside Cell Q quality control systems, both designed to streamline the complex process of creating personalized cell therapies.

Fabian Gerlinghaus, who co-founded Cellares and serves as its chief executive, emphasized the practical necessity of establishing manufacturing capacity within Europe.

He explained that cell therapies require patient-specific production on tight timelines, making local manufacturing capabilities essential rather than optional for European programs.

The new European hub will provide partners with accessible local supply chains while maintaining consistent quality standards across all geographic locations through standardized automated processes.

Cellares has positioned itself as the industry’s first Integrated Development and Manufacturing Organization, a designation that reflects its comprehensive approach to cell therapy production.

The company achieved a significant milestone last April when the Food and Drug Administration granted its Cell Shuttle platform an advanced manufacturing technology designation.

This distinction recognizes manufacturing approaches that either incorporate novel technologies or apply existing technologies in innovative ways to substantially enhance drug production processes without compromising product quality.

The FDA’s advanced manufacturing technology recognition came nearly a year after Cellares’ Cell Shuttle system received current good manufacturing practice certification, validating the platform’s compliance with pharmaceutical production standards.

The manufacturing unit itself occupies roughly the footprint of a truck yet contains all necessary technology to execute complete cell therapy production runs within a single integrated system.

In addition to the forthcoming Leiden facility, Cellares currently maintains production sites in New Jersey and San Francisco.

The company is also advancing plans for another smart manufacturing facility in Japan, demonstrating its commitment to building a global network of cell therapy production capabilities.

While Cellares has not disclosed the financial terms of the Netherlands lease or the anticipated costs for fitting out the space, the investment represents a substantial commitment to meeting growing demand for cell therapy manufacturing services across multiple continents.