Pharmaceutical company Novartis will build and operate its first Texas radioligand therapy, or RLT, manufacturing plant in Denton on Shady Oaks Drive, according to a news release from the company. The site will be fully operational in 2028.
Some background
Denton City Council approved an economic development agreement with the company in December. Construction is expected to begin at the ned of this year, according to the release.
The new facility will produce drugs for radioligand therapy, a form of targeted radiation used to treat advanced forms of cancer, according to the Novartis website.
In the treatment, a tumor-seeking molecule, or ligand, is combined with a radioactive isotope and delivers direct radiation to cancer cells. It treats the advanced cancers without inflicting as much damage to healthy tissue as traditional cancer treatments, according to the website.
The Denton location will be the fifth manufacturing site of its kind in the United States, the release states.
“RLT has the potential to revolutionize cancer care,” Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan said. “The addition of our fifth RLT manufacturing site in the US strengthens our ability to meet growing demand, building the capabilities needed to deliver these next-generation treatments with the speed and precision they require.”
What they’re saying
The plant will be a 46,000-square-foot facility and is part of the company’s $23 billion investment in the United States. The new plant will create local jobs in bioengineering, advanced manufacturing, quality and operations.
“Texas is a leading biotech hub and home to groundbreaking advancements in medicine,” Gov. Greg Abbott said. “This significant investment by Novartis in Denton will establish their first manufacturing facility in Texas for cancer therapies and create good-paying jobs in bioengineering, advanced manufacturing and more. Working together with innovative global leaders, we will continue to strengthen critical supply chains to help speed next-generation treatments to patients across Texas and the U.S.”
What else?
The company operates manufacturing plants in New Jersey, Indiana and California and has plans to build a 35,000-square-foot facility in Florida, the company announced in January.
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