The SEZ Technopolis Moscow will produce innovative biotechnological medicines

In the Technopolis Moscow Special Economic Zone (SEZ), work has begun on the creation of a research and production complex for the Artsellens biotechnology company, one of the key investors of which is Promomed, a leading innovative biotechnology company. The Artsellens Center for Biotechnological Research and Development (R&D Center) will be located at the Technopolis Moscow site in Pechatniki, and the main production facility will be located in Alabushevo, Zelenograd. The project is funded with the support of the city of Moscow, as well as the Savings Bank.

    – The development of medicine and related technologies is one of the key tasks for the metropolitan industry. Thus, a production facility and a research center will be built at two sites of the Technopolis Moscow SEZ. The city has awarded the company the status of a SEZ resident, thanks to which the manufacturer will receive a number of tax benefits. The company will be able to use the saved money for its own development. In addition, the loan for the construction was taken out thanks to the Moscow Fund for the Support of Industry and Entrepreneurship, which compensated part of the costs. The internal equipment of future facilities is currently being designed," said Vladislav Ovchinsky, Minister of the Moscow Government and Head of the Department of Investment and Industrial Policy of the City of Moscow.

The main activities of Artsellens company will be the development and full-cycle production of biosimilars and innovative biotechnological drugs for the treatment of oncological, autoimmune and other socially significant diseases. The first stage of the project is planned for early 2025 – 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 from cell lines to finished medicines, the study of the quality of the products obtained, the organization and conduct of preclinical and clinical trials.

As part of the second stage, it is planned to launch a biotechnological plant in Alabushevo. The total capacity of the new facility is estimated at 150 kilograms of the substance per year, or about 750,000 vials of medicines. This phase of construction is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2025. The technologies developed at the Pechatniki R&D Center will be transferred to the Alabushevo production site. This approach will ensure a full cycle – from the idea and development to the production of innovative medicines in the capital.

– We are grateful to our partners, the Department of Investment and Industrial Policy of the City of Moscow and financial leader Beber, 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 drug safety of the country. Artsellens considers solving complex medical problems requiring the development and production of its own innovative biotechnological medicines of a new generation to be one of its priorities," commented Maxim Smagin, CEO of Artsellens.

The project financing provided by Sberbank to Artsellens amounts to 10.5 billion rubles.

– Financial support for companies providing state-of-the-art medical services to residents of Moscow and other regions, as well as assistance to the development of the domestic pharmaceutical industry, is one of our priorities. Sber 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 Sberbank's Moscow Bank amounts to more than 76 billion rubles and accounts for about 3% of the total loan portfolio of corporate clients of the Moscow Bank, having increased by 13% compared to January 2023," said Vyacheslav Tsybulnikov, Vice President of Sberbank and Chairman of the Moscow Bank.

Additional information

Artsellens is one of 11 companies that have joined the pharmaceutical cluster of the Technopolis Moscow SEZ. 8 enterprises are already producing their products. Thanks to the support of the city, companies can get accelerated development, which means that large funds can be invested in further business growth. In turn, Moscow receives high-quality locally produced goods without delays in deliveries.

On behalf of the Mayor of Moscow, the city is implementing a set of measures aimed at increasing the investment attractiveness of the capital for domestic industrialists and developing production. Comfortable working conditions have been created for small, medium and large enterprises. Moscow entrepreneurs can benefit from more than 20 systemic measures to support the city, such as targeted loans and subsidies. A number of anti-crisis tools have also been developed.

Moscow is a city with a developed industry. More than 4,2 thousand industrial companies, employing 725 thousand people, work here. Every year, 40-50 medium and large enterprises are opened, as well as about 100 small enterprises. They produce a variety of goods, actively innovate and increase production volumes.