Swiss fine chemicals producer and pharmaceutical industry supplier Lonza has opened what it said is the world's largest dedicated cell and gene therapy center at  Pearland, near Houston, in the US state of Texas.

The company said the new facility was built in anticipation of rising demand from developers of cell and gene therapies with an eye to providing them with the means to deliver these types of treatments to patients around the world more quickly and efficiently.

At a dedication ceremony earlier this month, Lonza said the 300,000-square-foot (27,870 square-meter) facility offers, under one roof, access to some of the world's most innovative cell and gene therapy manufacturing technologies.

The center of excellence has already begun toll manufacturing for some customers, the company said. When fully operational by the end of this year, it will employ more than 200 full-time staff including scientists, engineers, MBAs and biotechnology professionals, while continuing to add more high-value positions as market demand increases.

"Lonza is committed to the evolution and cultivation of a diverse medical and life-science community in the Greater Houston area for many years to come," said Marc Funk, the Swiss company’s Pharma & Biotech chief operating officer.

Andreas Weiler, business unit head for Emerging Technologies at Lonza Pharma & Biotech, said the new facility, one of Lonza’s four centers of excellence in cell and gene therapy, has the potential to produce treatment for thousands of patients suffering from rare genetic disorders or life-threatening diseases.