Diamyd Medical is developing a vaccine for diabetes type 1. A manufacturing plant is now being opened in premises previously operated by Sobi (Swedish Orphan Biovitrum) at Ersboda in Umeå. The 1,000 square-meter building contains clean rooms, laboratories and offices.
“The investment being made by Diamyd Medical into systems, instruments and personnel amounts to approximately SEK 20 million. This is a huge investment in Umeå and we are delighted they have chosen to base the facility here,” says Jennie Ekbeck.
The move will create a number of new jobs in Umeå, which Jennie Ekbeck believes is important for the region’s life science industry as a whole. Today there are several companies with production sites in Umeå: APL produces sterile medicines, Nordic Biomarker manufactures reagents for blood clot diagnostics and Cytiva (formerly GE Healthcare) manufactures laboratory equipment.
“Umeå Biotech Incubator’s goal is to create the ideal conditions for industry growth in Västerbotten and Sweden. It is important for our region that there are several employers for people to choose from, as it increases the attraction of wanting to stay or move here,” says Jennie Ekbeck.
For companies to grow more expertise in industrial life science is needed. Jennie Ekbeck hopes that Diamyd Medical’s establishment in Umeå will help increase interest in life science education at universities.
“At Umeå Biotech Incubator we want to contribute to an increase in the number of life science companies with more than 20 employees in the region, because then conditions for industrial specialisation are created. That’s why we are particularly excited about Diamyd Medical’s decision to open up here.”
Diamyd Medical’s Class B shares are traded on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market.
For further information please contact:
Jennie Ekbeck
CEO, Umeå Biotech Incubator
+46 90-15 49 77
jennie.ekbeck@ubi.se