Genoskin is expanding its US operations with a new laboratory and office facility in Salem, Massachusetts, to establish local production of primary human mast cells for North American researchers and drug developers.

The expansion is designed to meet growing demand for human immune cell models used in drug discovery and safety assessment while reducing delivery times and improving supply continuity for customers in the region.

The contract research organisation will relocate from its existing 4,000-square-foot site to a purpose-built 8,000-square-foot facility, which is expected to become operational during the fourth quarter of 2026.

The new laboratory will support commercial-scale production of primary human mast cells and include Biosafety Level 2 cell culture laboratories, quality control and analytical testing areas, storage facilities, shipping infrastructure and office space for scientific and operational teams.

Mast cells are tissue-resident immune cells that play an important role in allergy, inflammation and immune responses. They are increasingly used during preclinical drug development to investigate immune activation, cytokine release, hypersensitivity and inflammatory responses, particularly for biologics, vaccines and other advanced therapies.

Genoskin said local manufacturing will reduce international shipping and customs-related delays while providing faster access to primary human cells for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies across North America.

Pascal Descargues, chief executive officer of Genoskin, said: “Moving into a new 8,000-square-foot facility with significantly increased BSL-2 laboratory capabilities will provide the infrastructure needed to support local manufacturing of human primary immune cells, future workforce growth and the development of next-generation translational testing platforms for the North American market.”

The company currently manufactures primary human mast cells from blood-derived CD34-positive progenitor cells using a standardised production process that includes phenotypic and functional quality control testing to confirm cell identity and functionality before distribution.

The Salem facility will complement Genoskin’s manufacturing operations in France, creating additional production capacity and supporting business continuity across its European and North American operations.

Nicolas Gaudenzio, chief scientific officer of Genoskin, said: “As demand for more predictive toxicity testing models continues to grow and because mast cells are among the first immune cells to respond to external stimuli, they are one of the most valuable tools for evaluating immune activation and inflammatory safety risks during drug development.”

Growing interest in primary human cell models reflects the wider adoption of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), which aim to improve the prediction of human biology while reducing reliance on animal testing during preclinical research.

The expansion follows Genoskin’s €8 million financing round completed in 2025, which is supporting the company’s international growth strategy, investment in manufacturing capabilities and expansion of its workforce.