AstraZeneca Opens $300 Million Cell Therapy Manufacturing Facility in Montgomery County

For Immediate Release: Friday, May 9, 2025

New Facility in Rockville Will Produce Cutting-Edge Cancer Treatments and Create More Than 150 High-Quality Jobs

 

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich joined global biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and local leaders on Monday to celebrate the opening of a new $300 million advanced manufacturing facility in Rockville. The facility will produce CAR-T cell therapies—personalized treatments that are transforming how cancer is treated around the world.

“This facility represents exactly the kind of investment we want to support,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “It will save lives, create high-quality jobs, and strengthen Montgomery County’s place as one of the nation’s top bio-life sciences hubs. We’re proud to have helped make it happen.”

The 84,000-square-foot facility, located at 9950 Medical Center Drive, is part of AstraZeneca’s $3.5 billion national investment in research and manufacturing. It will support clinical trials and future commercial production of cell therapies—treatments designed to re-engineer a patient’s own immune cells to fight disease.

“AstraZeneca’s new facility in Rockville is a testament to Montgomery County’s leadership in the life sciences industry,” said Elana Fine, MCEDC Board Chair. “This investment highlights the county’s commitment to advancing healthcare and fostering innovation, while bolstering the local economy. We look forward to continuing to support them as they settle into the new facility.” 

Montgomery County’s and State of Maryland support included:

• $100,000 in targeted economic development incentives from Montgomery County.
• Additional $500,000 in support from the Maryland Department of Commerce.
• Job creation tax credits that take effect upon new employees being hired.
• Coordination through the Department of Permitting Services (DPS) to accelerate approvals and meet an aggressive construction timeline.

 

“What makes this effort different is the precision and purpose behind it,” Elrich said. “The County and State made targeted investments tied to good jobs and groundbreaking science. That’s the kind of economic development we should all be proud of. Montgomery County continues to be a place where science, talent, and infrastructure come together. We’ve built a strong ecosystem—from startups to global companies—and we’re going to keep growing it.”

The facility is expected to create more than 150 skilled jobs in the region. AstraZeneca already employs more than 4,500 workers in Montgomery County across multiple sites, including its 1.3 million-square-foot Gaithersburg campus.

The County’s Department of Permitting Services worked closely with AstraZeneca and development partners to speed up permitting and inspections—enabling the project to open months ahead of schedule.

This announcement adds to a series of major bio-life sciences wins in Montgomery County, including:

• United Therapeutics’ expansion in Silver Spring
• MilliporeSigma’s new facility in Rockville
• Novavax’s headquarters growth in Gaithersburg
• The launch of the University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing in North Bethesda

County Executive Elrich will be promoting all of the County’s bio and life science success stories next month at the BIO International Convention in Boston, where he will meet with companies and organizations exploring new locations for expansion and collaboration.

To learn more about Montgomery County’s life sciences sector, visit www.thinkmoco.com.

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Release ID: 25-205
Media Contact: Scott Peterson 240-255-8462
Categories: Business, Executive Office