At a dedication of the new Jeffrey Leiden Center for Cell and Genetic Therapies in Boston’s Seaport, Vertex Pharmaceuticals unveiled plans to build another 344,000 square foot facility in the Seaport to support the company’s growth of its cell and genetic therapies programs. With the completion of this new site expected in 2025, Vertex will occupy 1.9 million square feet of real estate in the Seaport across five sites, making it the largest biotech in Boston in terms of square footage.

Jeffrey Leiden Center for Cell and Genetic Therapies I (Leiden I)

Vertex dedicated its site at 316-318 Northern Avenue in honor of the company’s executive chairman and former CEO, Jeffrey Leiden. Leiden I is a new state-of-the-art cell and genetic therapies research and clinical manufacturing site, which accommodates more than 400 employees, with 70 percent of the facility dedicated to lab and research space. Cell and genetic therapies are two rapidly emerging therapeutic modalities with the potential to treat the underlying cause—and even cure—several of the diseases Vertex is working on including sickle cell disease, beta thalassemia, type 1 diabetes and Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Planned Leiden Center Expansion (20-22 Drydock Avenue) (Leiden II)

The further expansion, being developed in partnership with Related Beal, Boston Real Estate Inclusion Fund and Kavanagh Advisory group, is a new 344,000 square foot facility located at 20-22 Drydock Avenue. Once this facility is complete, the two buildings will be known as the Leiden Campus and will help support the company’s continued growth in multiple disease areas, spanning multiple modalities and further enable its research and development teams to bring transformative therapies to patients. The new building will house labs, offices and manufacturing capabilities for approximately 500 additional employees.

“Naming this campus after Jeff is a fitting tribute to his visionary leadership and enormous contributions to making Vertex the company it is today,” said Reshma Kewalramani, CEO and president, Vertex. “Building on our achievements in cystic fibrosis, Vertex is at a new inflection point, and our continued expansion will enable our continued growth as we work to bring many more transformative—if not curative—medicines to patients who are waiting.”

Jeffrey Leiden, executive chairman, Vertex, said, “This expansion is a sign of our deep commitment to Boston and the larger Massachusetts innovation ecosystem. These buildings represent so much more than having the best equipment in our labs or great amenities, as important as those things are. These buildings represent a further significant investment in our unique R&D strategy, to transform the lives of people with serious diseases, like sickle cell disease and type 1 diabetes, using cutting-edge genetic and cell-based therapies.”

In addition to this expansion, Vertex and the Vertex Foundation also announced a $50 million commitment to health equity focused on clinical trial diversity, access to quality care and education of the local health care workforce.