MERCK KGaA is set to open a second commercial facility in Carlsbad, Calif., for its BioReliance viral vector and gene therapy products in 2021.

The €100 million facility is expected to more than double the existing production capacity. The site is part of the expansion of the Life Science business' product and service offering to the viral and gene therapy marketplace.

Darmstadt, Germany-based Merck has about three decades of experience in cell and gene therapy, and its first Carlsbad site has been engaged in gene therapy operations since 1997.

Gene therapy is an experimental technique in which genetic material is introduced into cells to compensate for abnormal genes or to make a beneficial protein. A viral vector, which may come in the form of a virus modified so that it cannot cause infection, is often being used to deliver the genetic material. Gene therapy is being investigated for the treatment of diseases such as hemophilia and cancer.

The gene therapy market accounts for $1 billion in 2018 and may reach $10 billion by 2026, according to recent information from Biotech Forecasts.