Korea’s GC inks deal to secure US cell and gene therapy focused CDMO
Founded in 2019 as a New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII) company, BioCentriq is well-positioned in the potentially US$40bn addressable market, end-to-end contract development and manufacturing for CGT process development and clinical manufacturing, said the Korean organization.
The US CDMO manufactures autologous and allogeneic cell therapies and gene therapies, immunotherapies, including monoclonal antibodies and proteins, and vaccines on behalf of therapy developers.
It also specializes in viral vector production, cell and viral banking, and upstream and downstream processing; it has cGMP-grade clinical manufacturing facility across locations in New Jersey.
“BioCentriq’s unique expertise in the rapidly growing cell and gene therapy CDMO will be a transformative addition to our business that we believe will accelerate our growth, with additional expansion projects underway adjacent to current BioCentriq facilities,” said Yong-Jun Huh, president of GC, formerly known as Green Cross Holdings.
As a GC group subsidiary, BioCentriq will maintain its individual culture and identity while sharing best practices, said the new owner.
Automated CGT manufacturing partnership
In October last year, the NJII business formed a strategic collaborative partnership with Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies aimed at accelerating the adoption of automated manufacturing to bring CGTs to patients more quickly and cost effectively.
“Across the cell and gene therapy sector, collaborations are key to accelerating process improvements and commercialization of life-saving therapies,” commented Delara Motlagh, general manager, Cell Therapy Technologies, Terumo, back then.
The tie-up is aimed at academic and early-stage customers, supporting them as they navigate their manufacturing process through the various stages of development.
As part of that agreement, the BioCentriq laboratories would be equipped with Terumo’s technologies such as its functionally closed, automated cell expansion system.
Haro Hartounian, senior vice president and general manager, BioCentriq, noted: “The use of automated manufacturing processes is critical for the cell and gene therapy industry as it moves toward commercialization in wider indications with larger patient populations.”
