Honeywell tech powers Peter Mac's AUD $105m cell and gene therapy manufacturing facility

Honeywell has announced that its building technology is contributing to the operation of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre’s new cell and gene therapy manufacturing facility in Melbourne.

The facility, which cost AUD $105 million, is co-funded by the Australian Federal Government, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (Peter Mac), and individual donors.

Completed in 2023, this Good Manufacturing Process (GMP) facility is the only one in Australia capable of producing CAR T-cells and other living cell-based therapies at a commercial scale for treating blood cancer patients. The facility is managed by Cell Therapies and is partnered with Peter Mac's Centre of Excellence in Cellular Immunotherapies, enabling Australian research to be translated locally.

The facility’s building management technologies, provided by Honeywell, are controlled through the Honeywell Enterprise Buildings Integrator (EBI) platform. This platform addresses several essential needs, including a Building Management System that oversees energy use and data compliance with healthcare and pharmaceutical standards, as well as an operational technology security system to protect the scientific work conducted within the facility.

The EBI platform also includes environmental management and monitoring systems to maintain optimal temperature and humidity levels, and redundancy of mechanical services for the facility’s cleanrooms to ensure operational reliability. The deployment of these sophisticated technologies had to be executed in a live hospital environment, making infection control a critical consideration for patient safety.

Professor Simon Harrison, Director of the Centre of Excellence in Cellular Immunotherapy at Peter Mac, stated, "These are bespoke building technologies that are enabling us to deliver cutting-edge treatments for people with cancer. These treatments are changing lives."

Dr Bev Menner, CEO of Cell Therapies, remarked, "We are proud to operate this world-class facility, manufacturing innovative living drugs for Australian patients. The large scale, high throughput manufacturing capacity combined with our highly skilled workforce represents a sovereign advanced manufacturing capability that supports cell and gene therapy product development from concept to commercialisation."

The Honeywell Enterprise Buildings Integrator platform helps the facility to comply with regulations from the Federal Government's Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) and the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). This compliance is crucial to ensure the health and safety of people and the quality of cell-based products manufactured at the facility.

Laura Laltrello, Vice President and General Manager of Services, Honeywell Building Automation stated, "We are proud to partner with the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre to help build what is truly a one-of-its-kind facility in the southern hemisphere. The facility is a testament to the highly customised capabilities Honeywell’s building automation technologies can deliver to organisations across the life sciences industry that are working to solve some of the world's biggest challenges."

Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre is a renowned institution dedicated to cancer research, education, and treatment, employing more than 4,000 staff members, including over 700 researchers focusing on improving cancer treatments, care, and potential cures. The Centre is situated within the AUD $1 billion Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre facility.

Cell Therapies, the operator of the new GMP facility, is an Australian-based contract development and manufacturing organisation specialising in cell therapy, gene therapy, regenerative medicine, and cellular immunotherapy products. The organisation supports advanced manufacturing for clinical trials and commercial cell and gene therapy products in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.