Sana Biotechnology celebrated the opening of its new manufacturing facility in Bothell, Washington, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by CEO Steve Harr, Washington state Rep. Suzan DelBene, Bothell Mayor Mason Thompson, and Sana CTO Snehal Patel. The 80,000 square-foot facility will house Sana’s cancer drug program and is part of the company’s efforts to develop drugs for complex diseases. Sana has developed a proprietary gene-editing mechanism to prevent a person’s immune system from attacking engineered therapeutic cells, potentially reducing costs and increasing scalability compared to existing therapies. The company has one drug program ready for scaled production targeting blood cancers and autoimmune diseases.
Sana has four drugs in human testing, including programs for cancer, autoimmune disease, and type 1 diabetes. The diabetes program involves turning stem cells into insulin-producing islet cells, with promising results in primate studies and a human clinical trial underway. The company plans to build a manufacturing process for the diabetes drug at the Bothell facility once the science is ready to scale. Sana has invested over $500 million in manufacturing sciences and building manufacturing capability to ensure quality control and hire its own personnel. With the company’s close proximity to the University of Washington’s Bothell campus and other drug manufacturing companies in the area, CEO Steve Harr highlighted the region as an excellent area for attracting talent.
Despite going public three years ago, Sana’s stock has fallen, but has seen a 20% increase in 2024. The company’s net losses have increased, reaching $107.5 million in the first quarter of the year, with R&D expenses totaling $56.4 million. Sana announced layoffs of 29% of its workforce in October due to strategic re-positioning and project delays, following a previous staff reduction of 15% in 2022. The company had 328 employees as of December 2023 and operates labs for clinical research in Seattle, as well as locations in South San Francisco, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a research group in Rochester, New York.
Sana’s new facility in Bothell is a significant step in the company’s mission to create innovative drugs for complex diseases. The site will be home to Sana’s cancer drug program, with plans to manufacture additional drugs in the future. The company’s gene-editing mechanism to prevent immune system attacks on therapeutic cells offers potential cost savings and scalability advantages, particularly for blood cancers and autoimmune diseases. Sana’s diabetes program, which aims to produce insulin-producing islet cells from stem cells, is progressing well, with a human clinical trial underway and plans to scale production at the Bothell facility upon successful completion.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony at Sana’s Bothell facility included speeches from Washington Rep. Kim Schrier, who highlighted the importance of Sana’s research in diseases like diabetes. The event brought together key figures in the community, including local representatives and Sana executives, to mark the company’s expansion and continued commitment to developing groundbreaking therapies. Despite financial challenges, Sana remains focused on its mission to improve patient care through innovative drugs. The company’s strategic emphasis on manufacturing sciences and building up capabilities reflects its dedication to quality and efficiency in drug development. As Sana looks to the future, the new facility in Bothell will play a crucial role in advancing its drug programs and potentially transforming the landscape of healthcare.
