AstraZeneca plans commercial cell therapy manufacturing, R&D hub in Shanghai

UK-based AstraZeneca announced Thursday it will create a commercial cell therapy manufacturing and supply base — as well as an innovation center — in Shanghai, China. The move is part of AstraZeneca’s $15 billion investment in the Asian country through 2030 to boost its research and development (R&D) and production presence in the drugmaker’s second-largest market.

AstraZeneca plans to build a dedicated cell therapy commercial manufacturing and supply base in the Lingang New Area of the Shanghai Free Trade Zone for the commercial production of autologous CAR-T cell therapies in China and other Asian markets.

“Among them is AZD0120, a BCMA/CD19 dual-target CAR-T cell therapy developed based on Genxi Biotech’s FasTCAR rapid manufacturing platform, which is currently undergoing clinical research in the field of multiple myeloma and autoimmune diseases,” AstraZeneca said in Thursday’s announcement.

The drugmaker will also create the AstraZeneca Genxi Cell Therapy Innovation Center in Shanghai Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, providing early research, viral vector and plasmid development, analytical testing, as well as clinical production and registration support.

“We are pleased to further our collaboration and investment in Shanghai to continue to strengthen our ability to deliver breakthrough therapies to patients in China and beyond,” Iskra Reic, AstraZeneca’s global executive vice president and head of international business, said in a statement. “As one of China's leading biomedical highlands, Shanghai has built a solid path from basic research, R&D to advanced manufacturing, and has nurtured a vibrant innovation ecosystem.”

AstraZeneca said it intends to become the first global biopharmaceutical company with end-to-end cell therapy capabilities in China. Currently, the drugmaker operates global R&D centers in Beijing and Shanghai as well as four manufacturing sites that supply medicines to more than 70 markets worldwide.

In March 2025, AstraZeneca announced a $2.5 billion investment in Beijing over the next five years to establish a new global strategic R&D center and expand partnerships in biotechnology and manufacturing.    

As part of the investment, AstraZeneca launched a joint venture with BioKangtai to develop, manufacture, and commercialize vaccines for respiratory and infectious diseases. The new facility in Beijing BioPark will be AstraZeneca’s first vaccine manufacturing site in China.

On Thursday, AstraZeneca also announced that it signed a memorandum of understanding on multi-party cooperation with the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission and leading scientific research and financial institutions in the UK.

Working with the University of Glasgow, King’s College London, and HSBC, the Shanghai-UK Life Sciences Innovation Ecological Cooperation Program is aimed at “connecting China’s innovation momentum with the world’s top scientific, research, and financial resources, and accelerating the development of innovative solutions to global health challenges by focusing on joint scientific and clinical research,” AstraZeneca said.

US investment continues

The U.S. is still AstraZeneca’s largest market by sales and is home to 19 manufacturing, R&D, and commercial sites. In July 2025, AstraZeneca announced plans to invest $50 billion in manufacturing and R&D in the U.S. by 2030, including a new cell therapy manufacturing facility in Rockville, Maryland and expansion of an existing specialty manufacturing facility in Coppell, Texas.

In November, the company announced it will drop $2 billion to bolster production in Maryland and move its entire rare disease portfolio to the U.S. AstraZeneca in October broke ground on a new $4.5 billion active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing facility, near Charlottesville, Virginia, which will be focused on chronic diseases. The site will produce drug substances for its weight management and metabolic portfolio.

AstraZeneca’s overall goal is to launch at least 20 new medicines by 2030 and generate $80 billion in total revenue. The drugmaker previously said it will leverage artificial intelligence-powered drug development and continuous-autonomous manufacturing techniques to help meet its goal.