Genzyme Corporation To Move 500-Employees To New Space In Westborough
September 5, 2014
By Krystle Vermes, BioSpace.com Breaking News Staff
Cambridge-based Genzyme Corporation has announced that it will be moving 500 employees from operations in Framingham, Mass., to Westborough, Mass. They will be relocated to a 114,000-square-foot space.
Ferris Development Group, the landlord behind the project, revealed that the lease is seven years long. The move will take place by the end of this year. Ferris bought the 283,000-square-foot office building for $21.5 million last year. The Genzyme facility will be located at One Research Drive in Westborough.
"Our lease [in Framingham] expires at the end of the year, and as part of our standard lease renewal process, our Sanofi real estate colleagues conducted a review to confirm that remaining at the current location [is not] the best option in terms of not only cost but also amenities [and quality of office space]," Genzyme spokesman David Murdoch wrote in an statement, according to the Worcester Business Journal.
In 2012, Genzyme created a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Framingham. Murdoch was quick to specify that the company is not abandoning its plans for its Framingham location.
"We maintain a strong commitment to Framingham with our R&D center, and three separate manufacturing facilities, including one that is currently undergoing an $80-million expansion," Murdoch continued to tell the news source.
Genzyme is expanding its Framingham site with a new processing facility that will focus on the product of its drug, Fabrazyme. Employees working in Global Industrial Operations, quality, information systems, procurement, regulatory affairs, human resources and information solutions will make the move from Framingham to Westborough.
"The One Research Drive location in Westborough was chosen because it provides a cost savings in newly built-out space, with additional on-site amenities for our employees such as a cafeteria, fitness center, and additional parking," Murdoch continued, according to the Business Journal.
Fabrazyme is designed to treat Fabry disease, an inherited disorder that is characterized by the deficiency of an enzyme called alpha-galactosidase A or alpha-GAL. The condition results in globotriaosylceramide build-up within cells lining blood vessels of the kidney. Fabry disease can cause severe kidney problems and prove to be fatal if it is not addressed.
Fabrazyme may lower levels of globotriaosylceramide and potentially improve how the condition affects the body. The drug is currently available by prescription only.