Baxalta Incorporated, a global biopharmaceutical leader, announced the official opening of its global innovation centre in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The centre is located in Kendall Square at 650 East Kendall Street and will act as the innovation hub of the company’s global infrastructure designed to effectively deliver advanced treatments to patients.

“We are honoured to join this robust biotech community in Cambridge. Kendall Square was a natural choice for the location of our global innovation centre. Here we are surrounded by some of the top minds in the industry, immersed in a biotech community that is unparalleled by any other in the world. Our goal is to become a leading development powerhouse to deliver innovative treatments for patients with unmet medical needs,” said John Orloff, M.D., head of research & development and chief scientific officer, Baxalta.

Baxalta’s innovation efforts are focused on the development of lifesaving therapies in haematology, immunology and oncology. The company’s approach to expanding its pipeline is based on an external innovation model, sourcing compounds externally through in-licensing or acquisitions. The Cambridge life science community will provide Baxalta access to a range of innovations and collaboration partners with complementary expertise to advance new treatments for patients.

Baxalta has approximately 40 programmes in development, and plans to launch 20 new products by 2020, leveraging its experienced leadership team, existing global capabilities and footprint in more than 100 countries.

“Massachusetts is home to an extensive community of top-tier academic institutions, research facilities and life-science companies,” said governor Charlie Baker. “The biotechnology cluster is an important part of our life-science community and a key driver for our economy. We remain committed to the life-sciences and welcome Baxalta to the Commonwealth.”

The centre supports cross-functional, co-located teams including R&D, oncology, biosimilars, business development, corporate strategy and customer operations, along with others that support or work closely with R&D. By the end of 2015, Baxalta expects to employ approximately 500 individuals at the global innovation centre. In addition, the company also operates a haemophilia treatment manufacturing facility in Milford, Massachusetts.