Orchard Therapeutics, today announces the opening of its US operations in Foster City, California.

Orchard is developing a global platform of ex-vivo autologous gene therapies in serious and life-threatening orphan diseases. In the United States, Orchard has collaborations with the University of California Los Angeles (“UCLA”) and Boston Children’s Hospital, and with leading manufacturing partners specialized in gene and cell therapy.

Foster City will serve as headquarters for the Company’s North American subsidiary, Orchard Therapeutics North America, and will provide the central technical base for laboratory operations associated with the development and validation of manufacturing processes and analytical methods for the company’s products.

Dr Stewart Craig, Orchard’s Chief Manufacturing Officer, commented, “We are building a world-class team of experts in the development, manufacture, testing and delivery of cell-based gene therapy products. This facility represents a next key step in establishing a central technical capability to support the global clinical development and commercialization of Orchard’s products”.

Orchard’s lead program in severe combined immunodeficiency due to adenosine deaminase deficiency (“ADA-SCID”) is an advanced clinical development, with a total of 39 patients treated as of September 2016.

Dr Alexander Pasteur, interim Chief Executive Officer, added, “Our goal is to become a category leader in ex-vivo autologous gene therapy for rare conditions. The opening of our US operations in California is a key step in building the global platform that can deliver Orchard’s transformative therapies to patients wherever they are.”