Biomedical

The United States Congress passed Senate Bill 5002 in late 2022 to allow methods other than animal testing to be employed to establish drug efficacy and safety. Dubbed the FDA Modernization Act 2.0, the legislation supports the inclusion of cell-based assays, computer models, and microphysiological systems such as organ chips in preclinical testing operations. The bill also rescinds a stipulation that animal studies must be used when seeking a license for a biological product that is biosimilar or interchangeable with another product.

2022 offered a glimpse of what the post-pandemic era might look like, with a redefinition of “workplace” in a hybrid setting; examining the benefits and challenges of renovation vs. new construction; and using data to drive complex facilities decisions. The following are the reports that Tradeline readers found most helpful in 2022, as they focused on strategic space planning in this shifting environment:

Lincoln Property Company and FCP are constructing the Colorado Research Exchange (CoRE) in Broomfield to provide leading-edge lab and office environments for biomedical, pharmaceutical, and technology companies. Designed by HKS Architects, the 461,500-rsf complex will include three structures ranging from 114,000 sf to 173,000 sf. Supported by advanced HVAC systems and emergency backup generators, this innovation ecosystem will offer leasable floor plates of up to 40,000 sf with ceiling heights between 14 and 18 feet.

The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) opened the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre in December of 2022 in Inchinnan in the United Kingdom. Situated in the heart of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland, the £88 million facility features sophisticated GMP environments where new pharmaceutical production methods can be proven at scale.

Vermeulens has released its market outlook report for the third quarter of 2022. Key points include:

Thor Equities opened a 350,000-sf research facility in Jersey City in October of 2022. Designed by SGA, the adaptive reuse project transformed a former toothpaste factory into a vibrant R&D center offering leasable lab and office environments. Featuring a selection of suites with infrastructure, casework, and equipment already installed, the eight-story structure integrates flexible floor plates, multiple utility grids, an onsite life safety generator, and 125 underground parking spaces.

The booming life sciences industry, whose investment in corporate research and development spending more than doubled during the last decade to $212 billion in 2020, is giving birth to millions of square feet of new research laboratory space in the U.S.—29 million sf in 2019, up from 17 million sf in 2009. Much of that recent growth is in gene and cell therapy R&D.

King Street Properties broke ground in October of 2022 on the $915 million Allston LabWorks complex in Boston. Designed by DiMella Shaffer, the vibrant life sciences campus will provide 534,000 sf of leading-edge lab and office space across two research buildings. Standing six and eight stories high, the highly efficient structures will feature generous floor-to-floor heights to accommodate sophisticated instrumentation.

Indiana University broke ground in October of 2022 on the $230 million Medical Education Building in Indianapolis. Designed by Perkins&Will and Browning Day, the 326,000-gsf complex will provide the School of Medicine with state-of-the-art environments for teaching and research. Featuring a spacious atrium, the first three floors of the 11-story building will house classrooms, lecture halls, and a café. Specialized rooms for learning communities will encourage small groups to interact and collaborate.

Amgen opened a 245,000-sf R&D center in South San Francisco in October of 2022. Located on the Gateway of Pacific life sciences campus in Oyster Point, the leased facility was designed by Flad Architects and developed by BioMed Realty. Featuring modular wet and molecular labs, the nine-story tower accommodates Amgen's research programs in oncology, inflammation, and cardiometabolic diseases. Flexible floor plates integrate lab and office functions, with open work spaces and movable furnishings promoting collaboration and interaction.

The Eli and Edythe L. Broad Institute, a nonprofit research organization affiliated with MIT and Harvard University, is expanding its presence in Cambridge with the long-term lease of a 225,000-sf facility. Developer Boston Properties is transforming an existing six-story building at 300 Binney Street into a state-of-the-art biomedical hub where interdisciplinary teams will engage in collaborative research and discovery.

Claremont McKenna College broke ground in October of 2022 on the Robert Day Sciences Center in Claremont, Calif. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the 135,000-sf facility will provide the Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences with classrooms, collaboration spaces, teaching and research labs, and faculty offices. The open, light-filled structure will embody the convergence of computational, life, and social sciences by supporting a progressive pedagogy focused on three key areas: Gene, Brain, and Planet.

Johnson & Johnson opened its San Francisco Bay Campus in September of 2022 in Brisbane, Calif. Accommodating up to 400 employees, the 200,000-sf facility bridges key scientific and technological capabilities by collocating the biomedical research activities of subsidiary firm Janssen Pharmaceuticals with J&J's innovation and technology divisions. The collaborative R&D hub houses leading-edge laboratories, flexible office environments, and space for joint development with industry partners.

CSL completed construction in September of 2022 on its $150 million R&D campus in Marburg, Germany. Located in the Görzhausen Industrial Park, the 430,000-sf facility offers sophisticated environments for the creation of next-generation mRNA vaccines, recombinant technologies, and cell and gene therapies. Accommodating up to 500 employees, the multidisciplinary complex represents CSL’s largest global research hub with 75,000 sf of lab space and 75,000 sf of office space.

Sartorius is constructing the $60 million Center of Excellence for BioAnalytics in Ann Arbor, Mich. Designed by Hobbs+Black Architects, the 130,000-sf building will include a process development lab to accelerate the creation of advanced medical therapies. Providing next-generation facilities for biopharmaceutical research, development, production, and testing, the project will enable the company to consolidate business operations currently dispersed throughout Washtenaw County and beyond.