BOSTON: Gelesis, a biotechnology company at the forefront of developing mechanobiology-based therapies to treat chronic diseases related to the gastrointestinal (GI) system, has received a non-dilutive $10.6 million grant to support the commercial manufacturing facility of PLENITY, the company’s first commercial product, which was recently cleared by the FDA as an aid for weight management in adults.[the_ad id=”31605″]”Gelesis is moving rapidly to build out its supporting infrastructure for the launch of PLENITY as a prescription therapy, and this support from the Puglia Region and the European Community is a welcome non-dilutive addition to our preparations,” said David Pass, chief operating officer and head of commercial of Gelesis.
“We are excited to build the first commercial manufacturing facility in the world capable of producing super absorbent hydrogels synthesised from naturally derived building blocks, based on the Gelesis core proprietary technology. This achievement is the result of many years of dedicated effort by our multi-disciplinary engineering teams. We will continue to invest in our manufacturing processes and capacity to meet demand for both commercial and clinical supply across our portfolio of hydrogel therapies in development for chronic disease.”
The grant was provided by the Puglia Region, where Gelesis’ current material science research & development and clinical supply manufacturing is located. The grant is intended to support the development of a new commercial-scale manufacturing facility in the region.
The grant uses funds provided by the European Community via the Operative Program of the European Fund for Regional Development (FESR), which supports small enterprises with research and industrialisation-integrated activity.