Texcell – North America , a contract research organization that provides services for biopharmaceutical companies, is growing its U.S. presence with an expansion in Maryland.

The company is adding approximately 27,000 square-feet of laboratory and office space in Frederick and installing new equipment and machinery. When completed, the new facility will contain eight new independent client suites, specifically designed to be flexible based on the project and client needs. Clients will have the opportunity to execute scaled-down manufacturing models, or have the work transferred to a dedicated viral clearance team. The company has started build out construction and is scheduled to be completed in quarter one of 2023.

With this additional space, the company more than doubles its capacity for biosafety testing and viral clearance studies, as well as custom cell culture work . The company has added nearly 20 new jobs since last year and continues to increase its workforce  in 2022.

The Maryland Department of Commerce is assisting the company with project costs through the Maryland Industrial Development Financing Authority (MIDFA), which is providing credit insurance on the company’s bank loan to reduce the lender's risk.

“Viral clearance and safety testing are an integral part of the development of biologics and gene therapies. This expansion will give us the opportunity to scale up our testing capabilities to meet the rising demand for these life-saving products,” said Jeff Schubert , president and CEO of Texcell – North America, in a statement earlier this year.

Texcell – North America was formerly known as CellTrends, which was started by Jeff Schubert and his spouse, Tracy Staley, in the early 1990s. Originally, the company focused on custom cell culture support. By the early 2000s, they started providing viral testing services and in 2010, the organization was acquired by the Texcell Group, headquartered in Evry, France. Altogether, the company has over 30 years of experience in supporting the biotech industries in Maryland and around the globe.

Texcell – North America is in good company in Maryland, with several other expansion projects in the life sciences sector taking place this year, including Horizon Therapeutics, REGENXBIO, and Synexa Life Sciences.

The company plans  to open its new facility by early next year and is already lining up projects for 2023.