Environmentally Responsible Site to Significantly Increase Company's
Presence in China
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Genzyme Corp.
(Nasdaq: GENZ) announced today that it will build a major new research and
development center in Beijing. The initiative is an important element in
Genzyme's ongoing global expansion and commitment to establishing a
long-term presence in China.
The new facility will be used for research and development activities
involving many of Genzyme's key areas of focus, including orthopedics,
transplant and immune disease, oncology, endocrinology and cardiovascular
disease. The facility, which will feature an innovative green design, will
also include laboratory-scale operations for the MACI(R) (matrix-induced
autologous chondrocyte implantation) cell therapy and polyclonal antibody
operations.
"This new site represents a major step forward in our effort to improve
the lives of patients in China by introducing innovative new medical
products," said Henri A. Termeer, Genzyme's chairman and chief executive
officer. "As we expand our presence in China, we look forward to making a
significant contribution to the growth of the country's life sciences
industry."
Genzyme already markets Synvisc(R) (hylan G-F 20) and Thymoglobulin(R)
(anti-thymocyte globulin rabbit) in China, and is preparing to introduce
additional products next year. The company also has a pilot program at
Beijing Wujing Hospital for the cell therapy product MACI. Genzyme
currently has 25 employees working in offices in Beijing and Shanghai.
Since 1999, Genzyme has provided its rare genetic disease treatment
Cerezyme(R) (imiglucerase for injection) free of charge to Chinese patients
in need. Approximately 125 patients are being treated in China through the
Gaucher Initiative, Genzyme's humanitarian partnership with Project HOPE.
Last year, the company began a collaboration with the Chinese firm Sunway
Biotech Co. Ltd. with the goal of bringing a gene therapy for
cardiovascular disease to patients in China and Genzyme is seeking to form
additional partnerships with local companies.
Consistent with Genzyme's commitment to the environment and corporate
responsibility, the new Beijing facility will feature an attractive
architectural design and innovative green features that will create a
healthy and comfortable workplace for employees, and reduce its
environmental impact. The company intends to seek certification for the
building with the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. Genzyme's global corporate
headquarters, Genzyme Center, achieved the highest LEED rating, and all of
the company's facilities worldwide are being built to high environmental
standards. Genzyme is conducting major R&D and manufacturing expansion
projects in the United States, Belgium, France, the United Kingdom and the
Netherlands, and is rapidly expanding its commercial operations in
countries around the world.
Genzyme's new Beijing facility will be located in Zhongguancun (ZGC)
Life Science Park, an area dedicated to academic and government research
centers as well as pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The 200,000
square-foot building will be constructed with low-impact environmental
techniques and methods, and will incorporate a range of environmentally
responsible features, including: a living roof to reduce pollution caused
by storm water runoff; a solar thermal system that will provide a
significant portion of the building's hot water and reduce its energy
consumption; and low-flow fixtures to limit water usage.
An all-glass exterior will provide employees with significant natural
light, contributing to a pleasant working environment and reducing the
facility's dependence on electricity for artificial lighting. The facility
is also intended to serve as a central gathering spot, with a large
auditorium to host meetings of employees, physicians and others in the
scientific community. This meeting space will be adjacent to an exterior
garden area, and there will also be interior gardens throughout the
facility.
Genzyme's core research and development operations are located in
Massachusetts, USA. The company also has a research site in Cambridge, U.K.
The Beijing facility will be the company's second product-focused R&D site
outside of the United States.
Genzyme is seeking necessary governmental authorizations and expects to
complete and open the facility in 2010. The facility will be able to
accommodate 350 employees, and the total cost for the project is estimated
to be $90 million. The architect is RMJM Hillier and the engineer is MW
Zander.
About Genzyme
One of the world's leading biotechnology companies, Genzyme is
dedicated to making a major positive impact on the lives of people with
serious diseases. Since 1981, the company has grown from a small start-up
to a diversified enterprise with more than 10,000 employees in locations
spanning the globe and 2007 revenues of $3.8 billion. In 2007, Genzyme was
chosen to receive the National Medal of Technology, the highest honor
awarded by the President of the United States for technological innovation.
With many established products and services helping patients in nearly
90 countries, Genzyme is a leader in the effort to develop and apply the
most advanced technologies in the life sciences. The company's products and
services are focused on rare inherited disorders, kidney disease,
orthopaedics, cancer, transplant, and diagnostic testing. Genzyme's
commitment to innovation continues today with a substantial development
program focused on these fields, as well as immune disease, infectious
disease, and other areas of unmet medical need.
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding
Genzyme's business plans and strategies, including without limitation: the
construction of an R&D facility in Beijing, the incorporation of
environmentally sensitive design features and construction techniques into
the facility, the commencement of construction of the facility, and the
completion and opening of the facility in 2010. These statements are
subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those forecasted. These risks and uncertainties
include, among others: Genzyme's ability to obtain all required
authorizations and permits to build the R&D facility; Genzyme's ability to
utilize low impact environmental techniques and to incorporate
environmentally sensitive design features into the facility; Genzyme's
ability to construct the facility without delays resulting from customary
design and construction risks; Genzyme's ability to validate, set-up and
commence operations at the facility; and the risks and uncertainties
described in Genzyme's SEC reports filed under the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, including the factors discussed under the caption "Risk Factors"
in Genzyme's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31,
2007. Genzyme cautions investors not to place substantial reliance on the
forward-looking statements contained in this press release. These
statements speak only as of today's date and Genzyme undertakes no
obligation to update or revise the statements.
Genzyme(R), Synvisc(R), Thymoglobulin(R) and Cerezyme(R) are registered
trademarks of Genzyme Corporation. All rights reserved.
Genzyme's press releases and other company information are available at
http://www.genzyme.com and by calling Genzyme's investor information line
at 1-800-905-4369 within the United States or 1-678-999-4572 outside the
United States.
Media Contact: Investor Contact:
Erin Emlock Patrick Flanigan
(617) 768-6579 (617) 768-6563
SOURCE Genzyme Corp.
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Related links:
http://www.genzyme.com
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/113803.html/
CONTACT:
Media, Erin Emlock, +1-617-768-6579, or
Investors, Patrick Flanigan, +1-617-768-6563, both of Genzyme
Corp.
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