Autolomous will combine its manufacturing management systems with Vineti’s Personalized Therapy Management (PTM) platform to form an end-to-end cell and gene therapy pathway. The partnership between Autolomous and Vineti, two technology solution providers for cell and gene therapy (CGT) supply chains, aims to drive the visibility and exchange of information between stakeholders across the CGT value chain to ensure the companies can respond to unpredictable variables that occur with biological processes. According to Autolomous, the integration of the technologies will…
Deal-Making
BioNTech eyes mid-2022 to build mRNA facility in Africa
BioNTech has struck a deal with Rwanda and Senegal to begin building a mRNA vaccine production plant in Africa next year. The decision to start building a messenger RNA (mRNA) plant next summer comes after the German biotech signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Rwandan government and Institut Pasteur de Dakar in Senegal this week. The firm had previously expressed the possibility of setting up mRNA manufacturing facilities on its own, or with partners in Africa and according…
NorthX Biologics takes over Charles River Swedish plant
NorthX Biologics will take over Charles River’s manufacturing facility in Matfors, Sweden through $52 million acquisition. Seven months on from Charles River Laboratories $875 million acquisition of Cognate Bio (Cognate acquired Cobra Biologics in November 2019) the firm has offloaded one of its Cognate assets, selling a plant in Matfors, Sweden to private investor group Flerie Invest in an acquisition worth $52 million. The entity has been named North X Biologics and the 7,000 square-meter facility houses process development and…
Joint research agreement to develop viral vector tech, says Matica Bio
Matica Bio and Sartorius have entered a joint research agreement to develop advanced viral vector manufacturing technology. Matica Biotechnology, a contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) that specializes in the clinical and commercial production of cell and gene therapies (CGTs), will work on various studies with German life sciences firm Sartorius to streamline and optimize PAT technologies, automation software, and single-use platforms offered by Sartorius for large scale vector production. According to Matica, together both companies will tackle the challenges associated…
Hansoh goes for GOLD in siRNA partnership
Hansoh Pharma will use Silence Therapeutics’ mRNAi GOLD platform to develop three undisclosed short interfering ribonucleic acids (siRNAs). According to RNA interference biotech company Silence, its mRNAi GOLD platform is  “designed to accurately target and ‘silence’ specific disease-associated genes in liver cells by using the body’s natural process of RNA interference (RNAi).†Under the terms of the agreement, Hansoh will have the exclusive option to license rights to two targets in Hong Kong, Greater China, Macau, and Taiwan following Phase…
ISCT partners to provide ‘urgent’ training programs for CGT workforce
The International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy (ISCT) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) have partnered to provide training to upskill personnel. Led by the Georgia Institute of Technology, the global collaboration between ISCT and NSF’s Engineering Research Center for Cell Manufacturing Technologies (CMaT) aims to bridge the critical skills gap in the cell and gene therapy (CGT) industry by delivering educational programs. The joint-training program entitled ‘‘Workforce Development in Biomanufacturing – A Global Partnership with ISCT and CMaTâ€,…
Terumo and BioCentriq to drive automated CGT manufacturing
BioCentriq’s laboratories will be equipped with Terumo’s technologies to accelerate the adoption of automated production for cell and gene therapies. Apheresis services firm Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies and cell and gene therapy contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) BioCentriq have entered a strategic collaboration to bring cell and gene therapies (CGT) to individuals more quickly and cheaper. “This agreement will expand customer reach by introducing early-stage CGT researchers and developers to the benefits of manufacturing automation and demonstrating how to…
Aceto buffers up presence in bioprocessing with A&C buy
A&C Bio Buffer is the sixth acquisition for Aceto in the past two years and signals the firm’s ambitions in the biomanufacturing services space. The deal, financials of which have not been disclosed, brings Aceto a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) manufacturer of custom buffer and chemical blend products used in the manufacturing of biopharmaceutical drug products, with a facility in Limerick, Ireland producing over 50 products including biological buffers, process solutions, cleaning solutions and WFI (Water for Injection). “A&C Bio…
Ins and outs: High level changes at BlueRock, Pfizer and the NIH
Emile Nuwaysir has stepped down from his position as CEO of BlueRock and moves to in vivo cell therapy firm Ensoma. Meanwhile, there are changes at Pfizer and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Nuwaysir has been CEO of Bayer’s subsidiary BlueRock Therapeutics since 2017. Since then, the company has transitioned from a preclinical start-up to a clinical-stage firm that employs over 200 people across two countries. Nuwaysir will remain at the company as a board chair and continue to…
Simulated Bed fellows: Tosoh buys purification firm Semba
Tosoh Bioscience says it will complement its resins business through the addition of continuous chromatography firm Semba Biosciences. The deal, which closed earlier this month, saw Pennsylvania-based Tosoh add all Semba’s staff and assets for an undisclosed fee. The acquisition will boost the firm’s downstream bioproduction portfolio, made up of chromatography resins, with the addition of Semba’s simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography systems (see text box below). “Coupled with Semba’s revolutionary multi-column chromatography technology we have found a perfect complement…