Global biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca  is investing $300 million in a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Montgomery County.

The company will use the 84,000 square-foot location to launch its life-saving cell therapy platforms for critical cancer trials in the U.S.

“AstraZeneca and the State of Maryland share a deep commitment to innovation. It makes us the perfect pairing for this next-generation cell therapy facility,” said Governor Wes Moore. “This significant investment in our life sciences sector will help maintain Maryland’s leadership in the industry and sharpen our competitive edge.”

The company plans to add approximately 150 new jobs at the Rockville facility, which will focus on manufacturing CAR-T cell therapies (a type of cancer immunotherapy treatment).

“We are incredibly excited that more than 150 new highly skilled jobs are being created to bring our scientific work and therapies to clinical trials which could transform the lives of patients around the world,” said AstraZeneca Executive Vice President of Global Operations & IT and Chief Sustainability Officer Pam Cheng.

The new facility in Rockville is located less than five miles away from one of the company’s five global research and development centers and sits within Montgomery County’s booming life sciences corridor. With close proximity to several universities, the location provides an attractive place for ongoing talent recruitment. AstraZeneca plans to retain 4,500 employees at its other facilities throughout Montgomery County. Read the full announcement .