The Technopolis Moscow SEZ economic zone will host the production of innovative biotechnological drugs
In the Technopolis Moscow special economic zone (SEZ), work has begun on the creation of a research and production complex of the Artsellens biotechnological company, one of the key investors of which is the leading innovative biotechnological company Promomed Group. The Center for Biotechnology Research and Development (R&D Center) Artsellens will be located at the Technopolis Moscow site in Pechatniki; the main production site will be in Alabushevo, in Zelenograd. The project is financed with the support of the city of Moscow and Sber Group.
"The development of medicine and related technologies is one of the key tasks for the capital industry. In this context, a production site and a research center will appear at two sites of the Technopolis Moscow SEZ. Artsellens company received the SEZ resident status from the City of Moscow and will enjoy a number of tax benefits. The company will be able to direct the saved money to its own development. In addition, a construction loan was granted thanks to the Moscow Fund for the Support of Industry and Entrepreneurship, which partially compensated the costs. Now the design of internal equipment for future facilities is underway," said Vladislav Ovchinsky, Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the Department of Investment and Industrial Policy of the City of Moscow.
The main activities of Artsellens will be the development and full cycle production of biosimilars and innovative biotechnological drugs for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune and other socially significant diseases. At the beginning of 2025, the first stage of the project is planned, namely, the launch of a biotechnological R&D center in Pechatniki. The list of tasks of the Center will include the development and pilot production of new biotechnological products, starting from cell lines to the finished drug products, testing the quality of the products, organization and conduct of preclinical and clinical studies.
As part of the second stage, it is planned to launch a biotechnology plant in Alabushevo. The total production capacity of the modern enterprise is estimated at 150 kg of substance per year or about 750 thousand vials of drug products. This phase of construction is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2025. Technologies developed at the R&D Center in Pechatniki will be transferred to the production site in Alabushevo. This approach will provide a full cycle manufacturing in Moscow, from concept generation through development to the production of innovative drugs.
"We are grateful to our partners, the Department of Investment and Industrial Policy of the city of Moscow and the financial leader Sber, for the opportunity to work together on the project. This strategic partnership is a significant step in the development of biotechnology, as one of the areas that contributes to ensuring the national pharmaceutical security. Artsellens considers as one of the priorities in its activities the focus on solving complex medical problems that require the development and production of own innovative biotechnological drugs of a new generation, " commented Maxim Smagin, General Director of Artsellens.
The project financing provided by Sberbank to Artsellens is 10.5 billion rubles.
"Financial support of companies providing the most modern medical services to residents of Moscow and other regions, and assistance to the development of the domestic pharmaceutical industry is one of the priority areas of our activities. Sberbank provides corporate clients with a wide range of banking products and non-financial services at all stages of the implementation of new projects, as well as in the process of financing the current activities of enterprises and organizations. To date, the loan portfolio of medical and pharmaceutical companies in the Moscow Bank of Sberbank is more than 76 billion rubles and reaches about 3% of the total portfolio of corporate loan of the Moscow Bank, having increased by 13% compared to January 2023," said Vyacheslav Tsybulnikov, Vice President of Sberbank – Chairman of the Moscow Bank of Sberbank.
Additional information
Artsellens is one of 11 companies that are included in the pharmaceutical cluster of the Technopolis Moscow SEZ. Eight enterprises are already producing their products. Thanks to the support of the City of Moscow, companies are able to accelerated their development, which means that large funds can be invested in further business growth. In turn, Moscow receives high-quality goods of local production without delays in deliveries.
On the instruction of the mayor of Moscow, a set of measures is being implemented aimed at increasing the investment attractiveness of Moscow for Russian businesses and developing of production. Comfortable conditions have been created for small, medium and large enterprises. Moscow entrepreneurs can take advantage of more than 20 systemic support measures from the city, for example, targeted loans and subsidies. A number of anti-crisis tools have also been developed.
Moscow is a city with developed production. More than 4.2 thousand industrial companies work here, in which 725 thousand people work. Every year, 40-50 medium and large enterprises are established, as well as about 100 small enterprises. They produce a variety of products, actively innovate and increase production volumes.
