CRB's SlateXpace™ gives cell and gene therapy clients new flexibility, control over manufacturing needs to support highly complex product pipelines

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Emerging health threats, uncured diseases and the need to deliver critical therapies to patients are driving biotech companies to search for ways to build flexibility into their complex product pipelines and deliver projects in record time. Today, a pioneering multi-modality manufacturing solution addresses that challenge: SlateXpace™.

SlateXpace (pronounced "Slate Space") is a CRB solution that breaks from conventional facility design by providing unparalleled flexibility, speed to market and budget control, allowing companies to quickly deliver multiple novel therapies to patients. Clients get a customizable, time and cost-efficient solution that accommodates rapidly evolving multi-modal pipelines while future-proofing their capital investments. They also get peace of mind as SlateXpace leverages the expertise and capabilities of a team that manages every detail end to end – from facility fabrication and delivery, equipment selection and installation, to start-up, qualification and operator training.

The agility at the heart of SlateXpace's mission heralds a critical turning point in the story of advanced therapy medicinal product (ATMP) manufacturing. The 1980s biotech explosion, the advent of stainless-steel facilities, and the arrival of closed processing technology and eventually ballroom manufacturing concepts each ushered periods of uncomfortable adjustment – followed soon by untapped potential. Today, biotechnology companies are navigating the next scientific breakthrough with the promises brought on by the rise of cell and gene therapy products. However, many operators remain constrained by technologies and processes ill-suited for a fast-shifting market.

SlateXpace seizes on that potential by giving clients full operational turnkey delivery, upfront cost and schedule confidence and infinite flexibility, allowing clients to capture new markets or take advantage of emerging technologies. Implementing SlateXpace facilities allows you to constantly transform and grow with your business to address rapidly evolving market demands.

Drawing on CRB's more than 35 years of life sciences experience, SlateXpace's unique suite-based platform moves ATMP manufacturing beyond off-the-shelf cleanroom boxes and into a new era that empowers clients to shift flexibly, quickly and seamlessly between therapies. Using SlateXpace, an operator could run a product campaign in one modality, decontaminate that space, swap out single-use and mobile equipment and run a new batch in the same space – in a different modality – all within a few weeks.

Modalities currently test-fitted for SlateXpace include vaccines, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), viral vectors, plasmids, allogeneic cell therapies and autologous cell therapies as well as the potential to accommodate other future biotech modalities – an "X" factor that can accommodate bespoke client designs, new technologies or unforeseen scientific breakthroughs.

"SlateXpace meets the market need for a truly essential and efficient facility design, one that makes many, highly-tailored processes possible for clients," said Ryan Schroeder, President of CRB. "We started SlateXpace with the goal of delivering a facility that would never be idle. Manufacturers have the means to rapidly shift their operations as technologies change, business expands, and patient needs evolve. That will minimize downtime and maximize growth, no matter what comes next."

"Whether it's an established biotech company or contract manufacturing organization (CMO) looking for maximum operational flexibility to support complex product combinations across their global network, or a startup company looking for scalability and cost control so they can focus on development, SlateXpace provides a holistic solution with unparalleled advantages over today's manufacturing environments" said Noel Maestre, Director of SlateXpace based in San Diego. "The term 'disruptive' gets thrown around a lot in our industry. But for our clients, SlateXpace is exactly that – a game-changing turnkey facility that delivers the kind of flexibility once considered impossible for customized and novel processes."

To learn more about SlateXpace and how CRB can provide your business a future-proof facility – beating all industry benchmarks for speed, flexibility and adaptability – visit our website at www.slatexpace.com. We can also be found on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About SlateXpace:

SlateXpaceTM (pronounced "Slate Space"), is a CRB forward-looking solution that provides configurable and equipment-agnostic facilities to the ever-adapting life sciences industry. It allows clients to rapidly shift operations as technologies, business objectives, and patient needs evolve. Find us at www.slatexpace.com and on social media.

About CRB:

CRB is a leading provider of sustainable engineering, architecture, construction and consulting solutions to the global life sciences and advanced technology industries. Our more than 1,300 employees provide best-in-class solutions that drive success and positive change for our clients, our people and our communities. CRB is a privately held company with a rich history of serving clients throughout the world, consistently striving for the highest standard of technical knowledge, creativity and execution.

MEDIA CONTACT INFORMATION:
Chris Clark: 816-200-5234

SOURCE CRB