Item 2. Properties
Item 2. Properties
Our corporate headquarters are located at the MediaWorks, 191 Wood Lane, White City, London W12 7FP, United Kingdom, where we lease 32,673 square feet of office and laboratory space. We entered the lease in November 2018 with a rent-free period at the beginning of the lease term until August 2020. In addition, we have the option to terminate the lease in November 2026.
In September 2017, we executed an arrangement with Cell Therapy Catapult Limited to lease a manufacturing suite at the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult manufacturing center in Stevenage, UK (the “Catapult”) for a term through May 2021, at which time we renewed the lease. The lease had a six-month rent-free period. In July 2022, we and Cell Therapy Catapult Limited mutually agreed to reduce the lease term of this manufacturing suite from July 2024 to June 2023. In March 2023, we and Cell Therapy Catapult Limited mutually agreed to extend the lease term of this manufacturing suite from June 2023 to August 2024.
In October 2018, we entered into a sublease for 27,502 square feet of office space in Rockville, Maryland. On February 27, 2020, we terminated the sublease of this office space and concurrently entered into a direct lease with the building owner for the same premises. The lease is non-cancellable and is scheduled to terminate in March 2025.
In December 2018, we executed an additional lease arrangement with Cell Therapy Catapult Limited for additional manufacturing space at the Catapult for a term through September 2023, at which time we have the option to renew or terminate the lease. In March 2023, we and Cell Therapy Catapult Limited mutually agreed to extend the lease term of this manufacturing suite from September 2023 to August 2024.
In February 2019, we entered into a lease for a manufacturing facility, consisting of approximately 39,558 square feet, in Enfield, UK. The lease term is 15 years, commencing in February 2019, with an option to terminate the lease in February 2029. We initially planned on initiating manufacturing activities at this facility in 2020; however, following a strategic review of our manufacturing plan, we chose to discontinue the fit-out of manufacturing capability at the Enfield facility in December 2019. In March 2021, one of the units was split in two separate units and we surrendered one of those units back to the landlord. In October 2021, we subleased a portion of the facility to third party tenants over lease terms from October 2021 to February 2029 and October 2026, respectively.
In addition, in May 2020, we executed an arrangement with Cell Therapy Catapult Limited to lease a third manufacturing suite at the Catapult for a term through April 2024. In July 2022, we and Cell Therapy Catapult Limited mutually agreed to extend the lease term of a manufacturing suite leased by us from April 2024 to February 2025.
In September 2021, we entered into an arrangement for lease with the landlord, Forge Life Sciences Nominee, an affiliate of the Reef Group, for the design, construction and lease of a new 70,000 square foot commercial manufacturing facility in Stevenage, UK. Under this arrangement, the landlord leased the facility, which is called “The Nucleus,” to us on agreed terms, upon satisfaction of certain conditions and completion of construction. Since November 2022, the landlord handed over various portions of the facility to us until its practical completion on July 31, 2023. We were required to pay a pro-rated license fee for each portion of the facility which we had been granted access until the execution of the lease agreement. On September 19, 2023, we entered into a 20 year lease agreement with the landlord for The Nucleus. This new manufacturing facility will have a GMP cell manufacturing capacity of approximately 2,000 batches a year. We anticipate that the size and layout of the new facility will allow for further increases in this capacity.
In September 2021, we also entered into a lease agreement for 2,762 square feet of laboratory and office space in Gaithersburg, Maryland, with a term until March 2024. In September 2023, we extended the original lease term to March 2027.
In order to commence the scale up of our manufacturing capability, an administrative office and training facility was set up at Unit 10, Gateway 1000, Arlington Business Park in Stevenage, UK adjacent to the Catapult facility. This office and training space was used to support the fit out and commencement of manufacturing activities at the Nucleus facility. During November 2023, we vacated this facility and relocated to The Nucleus. The current lease expires in 2025.
In order to support local activities, we hold a short-term office rolling lease in Munich, Germany which has a three month notice period. Similarly, in December 2023, we have entered in a lease agreement for an office in Weil am Rhein, Germany to support our regional activities and commercial presence.
We anticipate leasing additional office and manufacturing space as we add employees, and we believe that suitable additional or substitute space will be available as needed to accommodate any such expansion of our operations.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
None.
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Tab le o f co ntents
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosure
Not applicable
PART II