Deal-Making

Intellia expands gene editing toolkit with $45m Rewrite buy

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The deal will see Intellia Therapeutics add Rewrite Therapeutics’ DNA writing platform and expand its CRISPR functionality. Under the terms of the deal, Intellia, a genome editing firm which uses CRISPR-based technologies will pay Rewrite Therapeutics’ shareholders $45 million in an upfront payment and an additional $155 million in pre-agreed research and regulatory milestones. According to Intellia, the University of California, Berkeley spinout will provide technology that is “highly complementary†to its CRISPR/cas9 and base editing technologies. “Rewrite has developed…

February 7, 2022

Recipharm takes first step in DS biologics with GenIbet buy

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Through the acquisition of Portuguese CDMO GenIbet Recipharm will move into the biologics drug substance manufacturing space for the first time.   The Swedish contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) has traditionally been in the small molecule and fill-finish space, as well as expanding its biologics drug product offering in February 2021 by extending its manufacturing license to include immunology products at its facility in Wasserburg, Germany. Now, Recipharm steps into biologics drug substance manufacturing through the acquisition of Genlbet, a…

February 3, 2022

Univercells and RoosterBio target regen med commercialization

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The partnership aims to enhance manufacturing of extracellular vesicles (EVs) using continuous bioprocessing technologies to make regenerative medicine cheaper. The aim of the collaboration is to deliver exosome manufacture, using Univercells’ scale-X hydro fixed-bed bioreactor and RoosterBio’s human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (hMSC) bioprocess and engineering media systems to establish EV produ ction. “A first step will be to evaluate the performance of the EV manufacturing process in the scale-X bioreactor and benchmarking it against a reference process (microcarriers process in the…

February 1, 2022

Oxford Biomedica enters US through $180m Homology JV

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The UK-based gene therapy services firm and Homology Medicines will establish an adeno-associated virus (AAV) manufacturing and innovation joint venture. The deal, expected to close in the next few weeks, will see Oxford Biomedica pay biotech Homology $130 million upfront and invest $50 million in the new entity, ‘Oxford Biomedica Solutions.’ The UK-based gene therapy firm and contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) will take an 80% stake in the entity, while Homology will own 20% of the company. The…

January 31, 2022

Biogen pulling out of Bioepis JV in $2.3bn Samsung Bio deal

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Samsung Biologics will take full ownership Samsung Bioepis 10 years after forming the biosimilar developer with Biogen. In 2012, the relatively new contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Samsung Biologics teamed up with Biogen Idec (now just Biogen) to form a joint venture aimed at developing, manufacturing and marketing biosimilars: Samsung Bioepis. Over the past decade, the share of the entity has shifted – Samsung Biologics began with an 85% share, which later increased to 94.6% before Biogen paid $670…

January 31, 2022

Fujifilm Dio signs long term supply deal and buys plant from Atara

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Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies will buy Atara Biotherapeutics’ T-Cell operations and facility in Thousand Oaks, California for $100 million.  The deal will also see the contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) sign a long-term supply agreement covering both clinical and commercial production of Atara’s range allogeneic cell therapies.   Specific candidates will include tabelecleucel, ATA188 for multiple sclerosis and the allogeneic CAR T therapies, ATA3271 and ATA3219. Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies also said it will expand use of the Thousand Oaks facility – which is known as ATOM – to manufacture a…

January 27, 2022

Cytiva and Nucleus team on custom cell media for CGTs

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The collaboration with Nucleus Biologics will provide transparent and scalable manufacture of custom cell culture media, says Cytiva. Under the terms of the deal, Cytiva and cell culture firm Nucleus Biologics have partnered to develop custom media formulation and fulfillment solutions for the cell and gene therapy (CGT) space. Cytiva customers will be able to formulate their own custom cell culture media through Xuri Media AI Guide, which is based on Nucelus’ NB-AIR platform. Additionally, clients can configure their media…

January 21, 2022

HPNE to expand single-use capacity on back of $15m BARDA contract

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Funding from BARDA gives High Purity New England (HPNE) the opportunity to expand into its fourth facility, the bioprocess vendor says. HPNE has been contracted to produce pharmaceutical consumable equipment for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and its third parties, issued in response to a Presidential Declaration of Public Health Emergency. The $15 million contract – number 75A50122C00009 – forms part of the office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the US Department of…

January 20, 2022

Novo Nordisk Foundation invests $343m to build stem-cell research center

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Novo Nordisk Foundation will invest up to $343 million over a ten-year period to establish an international research center focused on stem cell medicine. The center is a partnership entitled reNEW between the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Australia, and Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands. The aim of the collaboration is to drive future stem cell-based treatments. The governing hub will be based at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Melissa…

January 20, 2022

CBM and UPenn enter gene therapy manufacturing pact

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A five-year deal will see the Center for Breakthrough Medicines (CBM) gain commercial rights to certain gene therapy manufacturing and analytics platforms from the University of Pennsylvania. The King of Prussia, Pennsylvania-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) has entered a collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania Gene Therapy Program (GTP) to help small biotech firms, universities, and large pharma firms advance gene therapies through the clinic. The collaboration brings CBM access to UPenn’s gene therapy expertise, which has helped…

January 20, 2022