Bio-Techne Corp., a Minneapolis-based life sciences company, has opened a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facility in Bristol, UK to manufacture small molecules used in cell therapy development. The site expands the company’s capacity to supply GMP-grade materials for developers moving therapies from research through commercial production.

The 10,000-square-foot facility includes five ISO 8 multifunctional cleanrooms and two ISO 7 cleanrooms for GMP small-molecule manufacturing and product handling. The facility is fully operational and manufacturing materials for cell therapy developers, according to the company.

The Bristol investment complements Bio-Techne’s recombinant protein manufacturing operations in Minneapolis, Minnesota and GMP capabilities in St. Paul, Minnesota. The company also has a strategic relationship with Wilson Wolf Corp., a manufacturer of cell culture devices.

Across the network, Bio-Techne offers GMP proteins, small molecules, and cell media, as well as custom manufacturing, analytical services and process development support. The company said the combined capabilities are intended to help therapy developers establish reproducible manufacturing processes and scale production while meeting quality and regulatory requirements.

Bio-Techne CEO Kim Kelderman said in a statement that the investment addresses the need for consistent manufacturing as cell therapy programs advance toward larger-scale production. The company did not disclose the Bristol facility’s production capacity or the investment amount.