Biotech@Berkeley

Where Innovation Happens

Thanks to breakthrough research, humanity is closer than ever to having treatments for a host of devastating diseases. New cell and gene therapies are showing great promise to transform treatments for cancer, blood disorders, cardiovascular disease, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s and more. Around the world, patients are waiting for these healthcare innovations to make it to market. 

That’s where the Biotech@Berkeley team comes in. Our 46-acre campus in Berkeley, California, is dedicated to developing and launching advanced medicines that target illnesses at their source, creating the manufacturing capacity needed to take these discoveries out of the lab and to patients at scale.

About 1,000 employees base their work at the campus, including scientists, engineers, analysts, supply chain experts and process specialists. Their educational backgrounds range from high school graduates to Ph.D.s, and everything in between. All united in the mission of improving the lives of the patients we serve.

For more than 30 years, this team has been focused on technological innovations in healthcare. From developing and manufacturing Bayer’s portfolio of medicines used by people with hemophilia, a rare blood disease, to monoclonal antibody development and manufacturing, Bayer continues to be on the cutting-edge of biotech.

Today, Biotech@Berkeley is building on that foundation to meet the needs of specialty medicine. The team uses its manufacturing expertise to create the equipment, processes and procedures needed to reduce the time required to develop and launch novel new drug therapies by several years.

The team comes from diverse backgrounds and unites in support of the Berkeley community. Biotech@Berkeley employees mentor high school and college students, volunteer with local organizations and help raise funds for hemophilia awareness and research. The site has hosted community vaccine clinics, STEAM education events and emergency preparedness training.

The rich history of developing and manufacturing innovative healthcare products at the western end of Dwight Way in Berkeley dates back to 1903. Today, the campus is home to Bayer’s U.S. biopharma development and manufacturing work and the largest site in the company’s global biotech network. The master plan calls for nearly 1 million square feet of new, flexible facilities that will be used to develop and manufacture future treatments to help people with cancer, heart disease and many other serious health conditions. 

There is a global backlog of promising new therapies waiting to make it through the pharmaceutical development pipeline and to patients. The new facilities will help fill this significant gap and support continued innovation in healthcare. 

Biotech@Berkeley’s new Cell Therapy Launch Facility houses production suites for manufacturing advanced cell and gene therapies to support clinical trials as well as global production for therapies ready for commercial launch. 

The Cell Culture Technology Center opened in 2021. It supports the clinical development and commercial launch manufacturing of next-generation protein therapeutics, including monoclonal antibodies.

Bayer has a deep and long-standing commitment to West Berkeley. In 1992, Bayer and the City of Berkeley signed a first-of-its-kind Development Agreement that has since served as a model for public-private partnerships. In December 2021, Bayer and the City finalized a 30-year extension of that agreement, creating a framework for continued economic growth and community investment. Over the course of the current agreement, Bayer will make $33.1 million in community investments.

Connect with Us

• Follow us on Eventbrite or send an email to communications.berkeley@bayer.com to request email notifications about upcoming community meetings.
• If you have a question or comment about Biotech@Berkeley, contact us at communications.berkeley@bayer.com.
   

Site Safety

We take the safety and well-being of our team members and community neighbors very seriously. Our Berkeley campus has an exceptional safety record, with the site’s recordable incident rates below industry targets. We maintain a comprehensive set of safety procedures that meet or exceed those required by federal, state and local guidelines. 

These procedures include regularly testing our emergency warning systems and training scenarios for our teams. From time to time, you may hear these tests beyond our gates, just as you would in the rare event of an actual emergency.

At noon on the first Wednesday of the month, you may hear the test of our ammonia siren. 

• What it sounds like: You will hear a loud siren that alternates between a high and a low pitch. It is accompanied by a voice giving instructions to shelter in place or indicating that the siren is a test. Listen to the siren sound here.
• What to do if you hear the siren testing: The siren will include a verbal announcement confirming this was a test.
• What to do if you hear the siren in an emergency: In the event of an ammonia emergency, the siren will be followed by a verbal announcement directing you to shelter in place. Take the following actions to protect yourself and others in your care:
  • Take shelter inside. Close doors and windows.
  • Turn off thermostats if in use.
  • If you are outside, quickly move inside.
  • Stay inside until informed that it is safe to go outdoors.

Our full fact sheet about our sirens, alarms and safety information, including how to sign up for City of Berkeley emergency alerts is below.