AstraZeneca opens $300M cell therapy site in Rockville

State officials and AstraZeneca marked the opening Monday of a cell therapy facility in Rockville that aims to create pathways to jobs for the state’s STEM professionals.

AstraZeneca completed a $300 million, 84,000 square-foot facility in Rockville that will focus on the manufacturing of CAR-T cell therapies to enable cancer clinical trials to be conducted globally. The site has already created over 150 highly skilled jobs in addition to the 4,500 employees at its other facilities throughout Montgomery County. This facility adds to AstraZeneca’s growing presence in cell therapy.

Lt. Gov. Aruna K. Miller, Secretary of Higher Education Sanjay Rai and Maryland Department of Commerce Secretary Harry Coker Jr. were on hand for the opening. The facility is located within the state’s life science corridor and near one of AztraZeneca’s global research and development centers.

The bioPharma and life sciences industries directly support more than 54,000 jobs in Maryland and generate $41.9 billion in economic activity for our state each year. Roughly 5,000 life sciences businesses and labs operate within Maryland.

“By prioritizing innovation in the life sciences, Maryland is not only investing in breakthrough research — we are setting the national standard for how public leadership can drive scientific discovery, economic growth, and better health outcomes for all,” Miller said. “AstraZeneca and Maryland have a shared vision for the future of innovation, and we’re proud to be home to a state-of-the-art facility that will drive research for years to come. Now more than ever it is critical to maintain and support scientific research, and no matter what science-denying decisions come out of the federal administration, we are sending a message that science has a home in Maryland.”