The Netherlands Center for the Clinical Advancement of Stem Cell and Gene Therapies (NecstGen) comprises a state-of-the-art facility for development and GMP manufacturing. NecstGen additionally offers cleanroom rental to allow organisations to maintain control of production while de-risking the capital investment required.

NecstGen is open to the world and supports academic, small, and large industrial therapy developers to translate research and early-stage clinical programs into patient treatments. One of NecstGen’s primary aims is to support the development of therapeutics for orphan diseases that may be underserved but are nevertheless catastrophic to people who suffer from them.

NecstGen is a mission-driven CDMO owned by Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC). This large-scale investment to support academia and industry was undertaken to address the barriers to entry for the creation of next-generation therapeutics, including:

• Investment: The high cost of capital equipment, facilities, research, and development.
• Limited capacity: Market availability of development and manufacturing slots.
• Know-how: Knowledge, expertise, and talent acquisition.
• Intellectual property: Complex ownership and control of the technologies required to realise new therapies successfully.

Leiden & The Netherlands

Leiden’s location offers unique opportunities for NecstGen and its partners. Leiden Bio Science Park is one of Europe’s largest life science clusters. It is also a clinical, biotechnological, and pharmaceutical hub ideally positioned as a gateway to Europe and the world.

Furthermore, the Leiden ecosystem complements the progression of therapy developers, providing greenfield sites for expansion, existing facilities to lease, contract research/manufacturing, relevant suppliers, and logistics services locally.

As a member of the EU, the Netherlands offers a uniquely open, business-friendly, stable, and English-speaking environment. It has also been chosen to host the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is only 20 minutes from the LBSP and connects 327 international destinations directly (2018). Its direct connections offer therapy developers a clear logistical advantage when considering complex supply chains, patient material, and therapy shipment.