NantCell Acquires Vivabiocell To Develop Automated "GMP-In-A-Box" For Next Generation Large Scale Cell Culture Immunotherapy And Tissue Engineering

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Please note addition of text to headline and at the end of the second and third paragraphs.

“We are thrilled to be combining forces with NantCell”

The corrected release reads:

NANTCELL ACQUIRES VIVABIOCELL TO DEVELOP AUTOMATED “GMP-IN-A-BOX” FOR NEXT GENERATION LARGE SCALE CELL CULTURE IMMUNOTHERAPY AND TISSUE ENGINEERING

NantCell, a subsidiary of NantWorks, LLC, a company focused on the discovery and development of disease treatments through innovative, cell-based therapies at the molecular level, announced today that VBC Holdings, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of NantWorks, has completed the acquisition of privately held VivaBioCell SpA, a leading biotechnology company, located in Udine Northern Italy. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“With the acquisition of VivaBioCell, we have added novel and complementary cell culture capabilities and extended our geographic footprint,” said Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, founder of NantCell. “For nearly a decade, the team at VivaBioCell has been focused on discovering and developing therapies that utilize stem cell and tissue engineering for regenerative medicine. Bringing the two organizations together strengthens NantCell’s capabilities in tissue engineering and cell culture capabilities and enables next generation low cost manufacturing systems in the era of cell based immunotherapy.”

“We are thrilled to be combining forces with NantCell,” said Prof. Francesco Curcio, President and CSO of VivaBioCell. “I have collaborated with Dr. Soon-Shiong for over 20 years in the field of stem cell research and integrating with NantCell is the culmination of our many years working together in this field. The mission, culture and leadership team of both companies blend well, creating an ideal atmosphere for collaboration and continued scientific discovery. Our patented manufacturing systems of ‘GMP-in-a-Box’ cell culture and growth can be optimized by our integration with the NantWorks ecosystem.”

VivaBioCell’s automated “GMP-in-a-Box” medical devices enable safe, efficacious, standardized and affordable medical treatments by creating a next generation tissue engineering manufacturing capability. Current applications include developing stem cell for the treatment of osteoarthritis as well as bone regeneration for dental/maxillofacial reconstruction. This automated “GMP-in-a-Box” system will be utilized to develop next generation manufacturing for immune cells utilized in the treatment of cancer such as natural killer cells.

As part of the transaction, NantCell also acquired VivaBioCell’s diagnostic product, capable of identifying patients with systemic sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus.

About NantCell

NantCell, a member of the NantWorks ecosystem of companies, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery of innovative molecularly targeted therapies based on the unique molecular profile of the patient's tumor, independent of the cancer's anatomical type. Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, the creator of Abraxane® and the founder of the nab® technology platform established NantCell to develop a pipeline of humanized antibodies and inhibitors of proteins which drive tumor growth. NantCell's mission is to make obsolete the standard method of clinical trial design of "trial and error" and replace it with a level of quantitative predictability based on both the genomic and proteomic profiling performed prior to therapy initiation. The Company is tapping into comprehensive pan-omic analytical tools and "big data" generated from supercomputing to develop molecularly designed drugs to identify patients based on their unique tumor signature at the most granular cellular, DNA and protein levels. Patients entering clinical trials will be identified after a comprehensive pan-omic analysis from tissue to cell to DNA to RNA to protein to peptide to drug, with the goal to maximize clinical outcome and minimize side effects. For more information please visit www.nanthealth.com and follow Dr. Soon-Shiong on Twitter @solvehealthcare.

About NantWorks

NantWorks, LLC, is the umbrella organization for an ecosystem of companies committed to the convergence of 21st century innovative platforms to transform how we work, live and play: NantHealth, NantOmics, NantBioScience, NantCell and its affiliate Conkwest, NantPharma, NantMobile, NantStudio, NantCapital and NantCloud. Fact-based and solution driven, each of NantWorks’ division companies operates at the intersection of innovation and infrastructure.

Founded by Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, scientist and inventor of the first human nanoparticle chemotherapeutic agent Abraxane, the core mission for NantWorks is convergence: to develop and deliver a diverse range of technologies that accelerate innovation, broaden the scope of scientific discovery, enhance ground breaking research, and improve healthcare treatment for those in need. NantWorks is building an integrated fact-based, genomically-informed, personalized approach to the delivery of care and the development of next generation diagnostics and therapeutics. For more information please visit www.nantmobile.com and www.nanthealth.com and follow Dr. Soon-Shiong on Twitter @solvehealthcare.