Cell & Gene Therapies

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Lonza expands team, labs for cell and gene development

By Jane Byrne

Lonza is to increase the size of the cell and gene therapy (CGT) development space at its Houston facility; the expansion will include viral vector-based process development and analytical development laboratories.

Pic:getty/digitalvision

Syncona to acquire Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation

By Rachel Arthur

London investment fund Syncona will acquire retinal gene therapy company Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation (AGTC): with AGTC noting it had been facing ‘significant challenges’ in funding operations beyond 2022.

Melbourne wants to become an mRNA hub, with investments from both BioNTech & Moderna. Pic: getty/walterbibikow

BioNTech to build mRNA center in Australia

By Rachel Arthur

BioNTech will establish an mRNA research and innovation center in Victoria, alongside clinical scale manufacturing capabilities. Meanwhile, it has also pledged to step up clinical development of oncology therapies in the country.

Pic:getty/MG

EMA pilot to provide regulatory support to selected ATMP developers

By Rachel Arthur

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) will provide up to five selected advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) with enhanced regulatory support - and in the process hopes to learn how to improve the regulatory processes for other ATMP drugs in the future.

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Rocket Pharmaceuticals to acquire Renovacor

By Rachel Arthur

Rocket Pharmaceuticals, a late-stage, clinical biotech advancing a pipeline of genetic therapies for rare childhood disorders, will acquire Renovacor: helping it strengthen its position in AAV-based cardiac gene therapy.

Pic:getty/minadelao

bluebird bio gets green light for Skysona gene therapy in the US

By Rachel Arthur

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Accelerated Approval for bluebird bio’s Skysona (elivaldogene autotemcel), also known as eli-cel, to slow the progression of neurologic dysfunction in boys 4-17 years of age with early, active cerebral...

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Vertex to acquire ViaCyte, targeting type 1 diabetes

By Rachel Arthur

Vertex Pharmaceuticals will acquire ViaCyte, a privately held biotech focused on delivering novel stem cell-derived cell replacement therapies as a functional cure for type 1 diabetes (T1D), for $320m.

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Kite secures third approved cell therapy indication in Europe

By Jane Byrne

The European Commission (EC) has approved Kite’s CAR T-cell therapy, Yescarta, (axicabtagene ciloleucel) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) after three or more lines of systemic therapy.

Pic:getty/chaluk

Matica Bio opens new Texas cell and gene therapy facility

By Rachel Arthur

CDMO Matica Bio has opened a new 45,000-square-foot facility dedicated to the production of viral vectors and cell-based products used in cell and gene therapies, vaccines, oncolytic therapies and other genetic medicines.