The most advanced cell therapy infrastructure in the Baltic region is being developed in Vilnius. Northway Biotech, a leading protein-based biologics and ATMPs CDMO, is finalizing the installation of a new, 3,500-square-meter Innovative Cell Therapy and Personalized Medicine Center at the Vilnius City Innovation Industrial Park (VCIIP). This cell therapy center is being built by Kamieninių ląstelių tyrimų centras (Stem Cell Research Center), a company belonging to the Northway group of companies. The complex will officially open its doors and commence operations as early as the third quarter of this year.
The new center is being constructed within the territory of the Bio City III project developed by Northway, where the active expansion of biotechnology infrastructure continues. This is already the second building in this complex - a specialized biotechnology logistics center was opened here slightly earlier this year. To date, the Northway group has built two biotechnology manufacturing buildings in the Bio City I complex, while the gene therapy center Celltechna is already operating in the Bio City II territory.
Investments in the new center amount to 61 million euros. The project is funded by private capital and a loan from the national development bank ILTE under the Milijardas verslui (Billion for Business) initiative.
"We are proud to contribute to the implementation of a project of this scale and to help build an infrastructure that strengthens Lithuania's position internationally as a hub for high tech and innovation. We highly value Northway Biotech's ambition to develop advanced medical technologies of the future in Lithuania and see great potential for this project in international markets. The life sciences industry is of utmost importance to us, and we see its tremendous potential; therefore, having the opportunity, we contribute to the creation and development of highly complex scientific and technological processes in Lithuania," says Giedrė Gečiauskienė, Board Member and Head of Client Financing at ILTE.
The center will feature 20 independent production lines compliant with cGMP standards, equipped with integrated quality control laboratories, advanced cleanroom systems, and an isolated infrastructure tailored for the production of highly sensitive cell therapies. This infrastructure will allow for the simultaneous, safe, and efficient production of individualized therapies for different patients, ensuring maximum process sterility, full production traceability, and strict cross-contamination control.
It is planned that the center will employ around 100 highly qualified specialists in biotechnology, bioengineering, molecular biology, and other life sciences fields.
The new infrastructure significantly contributes to Lithuania's ambition to become one of the most important life sciences hubs in the Baltic region. The country aims for the life sciences sector to generate up to 5% of the national GDP in the future, and life sciences industrial parks like Bio City represent one of the key steps toward achieving this goal.
CAR-T Therapy: The Future of Cancer Treatment Using the Patient's Own Cells
"In recent years, medicine has been undergoing a fundamental transformation. We are moving toward complete personalization, where the patient's own modified cells become the medicine," emphasizes Prof. Vladas Algirdas Bumelis.
According to him, CAR-T therapy is already being applied in university hospitals today, but one of the biggest challenges remains the complex and limited capacity of producing such therapies. The global cell and gene therapy market is growing extremely rapidly, yet Europe still lacks specialized manufacturing capacities for advanced therapies.
"University hospitals mostly produce CAR-T therapies individually for their patients in small quantities. Our goal is different - to create a large-scale contract manufacturing infrastructure for university hospitals, international biotechnology companies, pharmaceutical corporations, and research centers worldwide, so that advanced therapies can reach patients faster and on a significantly larger scale," says Prof. V. A. Bumelis.
Regenerative and Longevity Medicine to Be Developed in Lithuania
According to Prof. V. A. Bumelis, the new center will focus not only on treating diseases but also on extending healthy life expectancy and advancing regenerative medicine.
"We are no longer talking just about treating diagnosed illnesses. Medicine is moving toward understanding the processes of bodily aging, repairing damaged tissues, and preserving the quality of life. This kind of future medicine requires a completely new infrastructure, which is exactly what we are creating in Vilnius today," he states.
From Individualized Vaccines to 3D Human Tissue Technologies
The center will also continue the direction of personalized medicine, which has been under development for many years. Northway Biotech scientists are already manufacturing individualized therapeutic vaccines tailored to specific patients.
The new complex will produce advanced biological medicines in small batches, while isolated production lines will allow for the safe preparation of therapies for dozens of patients simultaneously, completely eliminating the risk of cross-contamination.
One of the most ambitious phases of the project involves 3D human tissue technologies. Scientists will develop living tissue models in laboratories, which could be used in the future for testing new drugs, implementing regenerative medicine solutions, and, in the long term, creating artificial organs.
The Entire Biologics Value Chain in One Place
A major advantage of the new center is its integration with the nearby Gene Therapy Center located in the Bio City II complex, which has been developing and manufacturing gene therapy medicinal products since 2024. This technological proximity will significantly shorten the biological drug manufacturing chain - from the preparation of genetic material to the production of the final cell therapy product.
"In global pharmaceuticals, one of the biggest issues today is a complex supply chain and a lengthy waiting process for genetic material. By creating an interconnected biotechnology infrastructure in Vilnius, we can ensure a much faster and more efficient manufacturing process of advanced therapies for our international clients," says Prof. V. A. Bumelis.
According to him, by combining the new cell therapy and tissue technology platform with the existing gene therapy and recombinant protein manufacturing infrastructure, one of the most advanced biotechnology ecosystems in the region is being formed in Vilnius. This ecosystem is oriented toward the contract manufacturing of high-value-added cell, gene, and recombinant protein therapies for the global market.
ABOUT THE GROUP OF COMPANIES
The Northway group of companies unites 17 enterprises operating for more than 20 years in the fields of medicine, biotechnology, biopharmaceuticals, wellness, and investment. The biotechnology cluster, operating under the "Northway Biotech" brand, comprises 7 companies: five in Lithuania, one in the United Kingdom, and one in the USA. In the latter market, "Northway Biotech" is the largest biotechnology investor from the Baltic region.
The biotechnology companies employ a total of more than 200 highly qualified specialists. The companies provide services to international pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporations, including companies publicly listed on European and US stock exchanges. The primary export markets are Europe, North America, and Asia. The group's scientists also collaborate with international scientific institutions to develop innovative biotechnology projects.
Northway Biotech is a member of the Lithuanian consortium for cooperation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), thereby strengthening long-term scientific and industrial collaboration between Lithuania and the US in the life sciences sector. For its leadership in the field of biological drug development and manufacturing, the company was honored with the Outsourced Pharma 2025 CDMO Leadership Awards in the global biologics CDMO category.