Japan headquartered Astellas Pharma Inc. has announced plans to create an integrated biotechnology campus in South San Francisco as its West Coast innovation and research centre.

The new 154,000-square-foot building at 480 Forbes Boulevard will allow for the co-location of several Astellas business units and functions currently located independently throughout the San Francisco area in the US.

The new innovation and research centre will include employees across research, technical operations, medical and development, commercial, and relevant administrative support functions.

Astellas will invest approximately $70 million to create the new state-of-the-art facility, which will provide lab and co-working spaces to accommodate future growth as it advances a range of innovative cell and gene therapies for patients with limited or no treatment options, including rare diseases and cancer.

The company expects to complete the building and be operational in summer 2023. Astellas will be the sole occupant of the new building and will spend the next year equipping the interior with state-of-the-art research labs, office spaces, and other amenities specifically designed to accommodate the West Coast employees of Astellas Gene Therapies, Xyphos Biosciences, business development, Rx+^® Business Accelerator, and the planned future growth within those units. In addition, the co-location of these businesses allows for more efficient use of space by combining the lab and office facilities into one new building, compared to current independent locations.