Update: Lonza Pearland facility touted as 'house of hope' at ribbon-cutting

The Swiss biomedical firm Lonza will officially unveil its manufacturing plant in Pearland's Lower Kirby district, 14905 Kirby Drive, on April 10. The company says its Pearland site will develop cell and gene therapies from concept, through pre-clinical, clinical and commercialization, all the way to the patient. The company has had a Houston presence since 2010 near the Texas Medical Center, employing 168 people. The new 250,000 square-foot facility in Pearland will be the biggest of its kind and is expected to add over 200 new jobs in the coming years, the company said. The company also has gene/cell therapy operations in New Hampshire, Singapore and the Netherlands. www.lonza.com