UK’s Cell And Gene Therapy Catapult And The Australian CRC For Cell Therapy
London and Adelaide, UK and Australia, 24 May 2016 – The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGT) and the CRC for Cell Therapy Manufacturing (CTM CRC), the Australian centre for translation of cell therapy technologies, today announce a project to test at scale CTM CRC’s patented scaffold technology.
The technology is designed for T-cell stimulation and expansion and the testing by CGT will provide independent supporting data for ultimate commercial scale up of this technology.
The consortium will then investigate opportunities to apply this technology to commercial scale cell expansion systems. If successful, this novel scaffold technology will provide a platform for generating large numbers of activated T-cells for cell-based immunotherapies. This platform technology could be applied to therapies for a range of clinical conditions such as cancer and autoimmune diseases.
Keith Thompson, CEO, the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult said:
“The issue of scale in cell and gene therapies, is one of the toughest challenges the industry faces. We need to have the ability to grow cells reliably and cost effectively at scale in order to get these promising therapies to patients. This project is one of several where we are looking at adapting technologies to achieve that scale up. Collaborating with CTM CRC shows that it’s an international effort that’s needed to ensure we address the barriers in the industry.”
Developed across three of CTM’s participant organisations, The Women’s and Children’s Hospital, The University of South Australia and Queensland University of Technology, the technology is competitive with the current gold standard in T-cell stimulation and expansion at the laboratory scale. The consortium will use CGT’s experience in, and access to scale up processes for cell expansion.
Sherry Kothari, CEO, the CRC for Cell Therapy Manufacturing said:
“We have a strong focus on addressing the cost of manufacture through intervention with smart surfaces and materials. This project is an example of how simple and cost effective strategies are being applied to optimise and improve existing cell expansion processes. This collaboration with CGT provides the perfect vehicle for evaluating the translation and scale up of promising technologies. International collaborations such as these enable rapid adoption by, and value-add to a global industry, ultimately giving patients with currently untreatable medical conditions a better chance of access to life-saving therapies.”
This project is being carried out under an extension of the Memorandum of Understanding, signed between the two organisations in 2015 and will further develop the partnership between the two organisations.
About the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult
The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult was established in 2012 as an independent centre of excellence to advance the growth of the UK cell and gene therapy industry, by bridging the gap between scientific research and full-scale commercialisation. With more than 100 employees focusing on cell and gene therapy technologies, we work with our partners in academia and industry to ensure these life-changing therapies can be developed for use in health services throughout the world. We offer leading-edge capability, technology and innovation to enable companies to take products into clinical trials and provide clinical, process development, manufacturing, regulatory, health economics and market access expertise. We aim to make the UK the most compelling and logical choice for UK and international partners to develop and commercialise these advanced therapies. Regenerative medicine is one of the UK government’s “eight great technologies” that support UK science strengths and business capabilities. The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult works with Innovate UK. For more information go to ct.catapult.org.uk or visit www.gov.uk/innovate-uk.
About the CRC for Cell Therapy Manufacturing
The CRC for Cell Therapy Manufacturing (CTM CRC) is a part of the Australian Government’s CRC initiative, designed to foster industry-led research and translation. With a vision to increase the accessibility, affordability and efficacy of cell therapies for previously incurable, or difficult to treat conditions, CTM CRC has 16 core participant organisations, comprising research providers, industry and hospitals. Through intervention with novel coatings and smart materials technologies, CTM CRC is developing technologies to optimise cell isolation, expansion and delivery processes. These, in turn, will decrease costs associated with manufacturing and facilitate the rapid translation of cell therapies into clinical practice.
The technology is designed for T-cell stimulation and expansion and the testing by CGT will provide independent supporting data for ultimate commercial scale up of this technology.
The consortium will then investigate opportunities to apply this technology to commercial scale cell expansion systems. If successful, this novel scaffold technology will provide a platform for generating large numbers of activated T-cells for cell-based immunotherapies. This platform technology could be applied to therapies for a range of clinical conditions such as cancer and autoimmune diseases.
Keith Thompson, CEO, the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult said:
“The issue of scale in cell and gene therapies, is one of the toughest challenges the industry faces. We need to have the ability to grow cells reliably and cost effectively at scale in order to get these promising therapies to patients. This project is one of several where we are looking at adapting technologies to achieve that scale up. Collaborating with CTM CRC shows that it’s an international effort that’s needed to ensure we address the barriers in the industry.”
Developed across three of CTM’s participant organisations, The Women’s and Children’s Hospital, The University of South Australia and Queensland University of Technology, the technology is competitive with the current gold standard in T-cell stimulation and expansion at the laboratory scale. The consortium will use CGT’s experience in, and access to scale up processes for cell expansion.
Sherry Kothari, CEO, the CRC for Cell Therapy Manufacturing said:
“We have a strong focus on addressing the cost of manufacture through intervention with smart surfaces and materials. This project is an example of how simple and cost effective strategies are being applied to optimise and improve existing cell expansion processes. This collaboration with CGT provides the perfect vehicle for evaluating the translation and scale up of promising technologies. International collaborations such as these enable rapid adoption by, and value-add to a global industry, ultimately giving patients with currently untreatable medical conditions a better chance of access to life-saving therapies.”
This project is being carried out under an extension of the Memorandum of Understanding, signed between the two organisations in 2015 and will further develop the partnership between the two organisations.
About the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult
The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult was established in 2012 as an independent centre of excellence to advance the growth of the UK cell and gene therapy industry, by bridging the gap between scientific research and full-scale commercialisation. With more than 100 employees focusing on cell and gene therapy technologies, we work with our partners in academia and industry to ensure these life-changing therapies can be developed for use in health services throughout the world. We offer leading-edge capability, technology and innovation to enable companies to take products into clinical trials and provide clinical, process development, manufacturing, regulatory, health economics and market access expertise. We aim to make the UK the most compelling and logical choice for UK and international partners to develop and commercialise these advanced therapies. Regenerative medicine is one of the UK government’s “eight great technologies” that support UK science strengths and business capabilities. The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult works with Innovate UK. For more information go to ct.catapult.org.uk or visit www.gov.uk/innovate-uk.
About the CRC for Cell Therapy Manufacturing
The CRC for Cell Therapy Manufacturing (CTM CRC) is a part of the Australian Government’s CRC initiative, designed to foster industry-led research and translation. With a vision to increase the accessibility, affordability and efficacy of cell therapies for previously incurable, or difficult to treat conditions, CTM CRC has 16 core participant organisations, comprising research providers, industry and hospitals. Through intervention with novel coatings and smart materials technologies, CTM CRC is developing technologies to optimise cell isolation, expansion and delivery processes. These, in turn, will decrease costs associated with manufacturing and facilitate the rapid translation of cell therapies into clinical practice.