University of Pennsylvania Professor James Wilson recently signed a five-year renewable deal on behalf of his gene therapy lab to license its manufacturing process to King of Prussia’s Center for Breakthrough Medicines, writes Erin Arvedlund for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

In turn, the center has the exclusive right to make the gene therapy lab’s process available to other biotechnology and drug companies.

The agreement will provide Wilson’s lab at Penn $5 million in research funding every year, with an option to renew for up to 15 years, totaling a potential investment of $75 million from the Center for Breakthrough Medicines.

J. Brian O’Neill, the owner of the Center for Breakthrough Medicines, has been promoting a new space called Discovery Labs where Wilson’s gene therapy operation currently works.

The King of Prussia development project includes offices and warehouses that occupy 200,000 square feet.

In addition to Wilson’s lab, other tenants include British drugmaker GSK and WuXi Biologics, a Chinese-based development manufacturing organization.

O’Neill hopes to continue to grow the facility, allowing for small biotech firms, universities, and large drug firms to advance in discovery and human studies with less risk and expense.

Wilson is the head of Penn Medicine’s gene therapy program, and his lab has been essential in developing three cell and gene therapy compounds – Glybera, Luxturna, and Zolgensma. He’s also helped develop several viral vectors which he has licensed to various companies.

“Our collaboration with Penn will allow the ability to offer accelerated gene therapy manufacturing services under one roof regardless of where a program is in its development timeline,” said president and CEO of the center, Joerg Ahlgrimm.

Read more about the Center for Breakthrough Medicines licensing deal with James Wilson in The Philadelphia Inquirer.