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Last August, Sona Biotechnology opened a new
80,000 square foot manufacturing plant in an
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old AT&T call center in Bothell, Washington.
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The Seattle-based startup, which manufactures
engineered cells used as medicines for cancer,
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diabetes, and autoimmune disease patients, had
been working on the project for more than a
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year.
The facility was expected to create hundreds of
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new jobs and bring manufacturing in-house.
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Before Bothell, Sona planned to make a larger
facility in Fremont,
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California.
Well, now it looks like Sona is bailing on its
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in-house factory future and outsourcing the
work.
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According to the Puget Sound Business Journal,
the company will rely on contract manufacturers.
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Sona says.
It will use contract development in
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manufacturing organizations or CDMOs, to make
its cell and gene therapy products.
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The company says these CDMOs have the capacity
and understanding to meet its near-term
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manufacturing needs.
While this is likely a short-term solution for
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the company, Sona says it’s still weighing
several long-term alternatives.
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As a result, the company reported a 44%
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$6 million loss, primarily due to its efforts
in Bothell.
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But setting up these factories is no easy task.
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They can typically take up to 20 months to get
up and running due to stringent manufacturing
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standards.
Sona has faced some troubles along the way,
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including cutting some product development late
last year,
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losing about 30% of its staff the previous year,
and most recently
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in March, it was sued by investors.
Still, Sona shows promise,
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including a potential cure for type 1 diabetes
using engineered cells.
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In June, the company shared promising results
of a six-month clinical trial that suggests
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that a functional cure for type 1 diabetes
without immunosuppression is possible.
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I’m David Manti.
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This is Manufacturing Now.