Editor’s note: This article, published 11:27 a.m. on May 6, 2025, was updated at 1:51 p.m. on May 7, 2025, to add comments from Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich about the new facility.
Biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca unveiled its new, independently operated cell therapy manufacturing facility in Rockville on Monday, according to a press release from the company.
The $300 million facility at 9950 Medical Center Drive will support domestic production of CAR-T cell therapy, which is “one of the most promising breakthroughs in cancer treatment,” the release said. It will also create 150 jobs for highly skilled employees and further cements AstraZeneca’s commitment to Montgomery County.
The Rockville site will join AstraZeneca’s global manufacturing and supply network, which consists of nearly 30 sites in 16 countries, the company said. It also adds to AstraZeneca’s footprint in the county, which includes a research and development campus in Gaithersburg. AstraZeneca announced in February 2024 that it was investing in the Rockville manufacturing facility.
“We have moved at unprecedented speed to get our site to operational-readiness and are looking forward to delivering potentially transformative therapies to patients living with cancer and autoimmune conditions from early next year,” Pam Cheng, AstraZeneca’s executive vice president of global operations, said in the release.
Cheng noted that the Rockville facility underscores AstraZeneca’s “confidence in the future of science and innovation in the U.S.” According to the release, the Rockville facility is one portion of the biopharmaceutical company’s latest $3.5 billion investment in research and development manufacturing across the country.
In addition, the facility opening follows recent investments made by AstraZeneca, such as collaborations with Quell Therapeutics, AbelZeta, and Cellectis, and the acquisition of Neogene Therapeutics, according to the release.
Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller attended the site opening Monday as well as several other local and state elected officials, including County Executive Marc Elrich (D), Rockville Mayor Monique Ashton and Speaker of the House of Delegates Adrienne Alease Jones (D-Dist. 10).
In a phone interview on Tuesday, Elrich told Bethesda Today that the opening of AstraZeneca’s manufacturing cell therapy facility in the county was a “big deal” and important for the growth of the county’s life sciences industry.
“This is revolutionary treatment. They’ve got a very aggressive program in terms of enhancing what they do, treating more [diseases] … That’s pretty exciting. It’s hard not to look at this and feel like you’re on the dawn of a new age,” Elrich said.
In a statement in the release, Governor Wes Moore (D) called the facility a “hub for innovation, discovery, health care leadership and economic growth” in Maryland.
