With a new R&D facility under construction, Horizon Therapeutics’ Bill Rees is excited about the potential of the scientific discovery and cross-functional collaboration he said will lead to new innovations for patients.

Construction on the new state-of-the-art laboratory facility in Rockville, Maryland, has already begun, and the site is expected to be completed by 2024. The new building will provide the company with 192,000-square feet of space for its team, many of whom joined the company, such as Rees, following its 2021 acquisition of rare disease company Viela Bio, which was headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Many scientists, including Rees, currently the vice president of translational sciences and also serving as site head for Horizon in Maryland, have provided input into the design of the new space the company is leasing from Alexandria Real Estate Equities. Because scientific innovation will be at the heart of the new space, Horizon wanted to ensure the site will be designed to foster that kind of onsite collaboration.