U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-12), Hopewell Township Mayor Michael Ruger, and Mercer County Commissioner Kristin McLaughlin were just some of the officials who signed their names on the last steel structural beam laid in place for BeiGene’s new facility in Hopewell.
The beam signing and “topping off” ceremony on March 21, signaled the continued progress with construction for the new manufacturing and clinical R&D (research and development) facility at the Princeton West Innovation Campus in Hopewell.
“Adding these manufacturing and R&D capabilities in the U.S. is a major step toward fulfilling our vision to create impactful medicines that will be affordable and accessible to far more cancer patients around the world,” said John Oyler, co-founder, chairman and CEO of BeiGene.
BeiGene, a biotechnology company that specializes in developing drugs for cancer treatments, sits on 42 acres at 311 Pennington Rocky Hill Road on a campus that was formerly known as the Bristol Myers Squibb campus.
In the initial phase of construction, BeiGene is building a 400,000-square-foot facility for commercial-stage biologic pharmaceutical manufacturing space. The company can also add an additional 600,000 square feet if it chooses to do so in future years.
“Hopewell Township is pleased to see BeiGene following through with its plans to build a state-of-the-art center here,” Ruger said. “We are excited that our talented and experienced workforce will have the opportunity to help BeiGene develop and manufacture lifesaving medicines.”
BeiGene first broke ground on the Hopewell campus in April 2022 and expects to invest about $700 million into the project.
The new center will help BeiGene diversify its manufacturing needs and support the company’s global supply chain.
The company plans to have 100 employees by the end of 2023 for the facility, according to BeiGene.
In November 2021, BeiGene had acquired the property for the new center and potential expansion from Lincoln Equities Group. BeiGene then hired DPR Construction as its construction management firm and IPS as its architectural and engineering firm.
BeiGene is joined on the overall Hopewell campus with PTC Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company, and Passage Bio, which develops gene therapies.
PTC Therapeutics signed a long-term lease in 2019 for about 185,000 square feet of space, which included an existing state-of-the-art biological production facility, and supporting research and operations buildings on the BMS campus.
Passage Bio, leased about 62,000 square feet, and uses the space as a chemistry manufacturing controls laboratory.
Before Bristol Myers Squibb left its campus. The company represents about 6% of Hopewell Township’s tax base.