CBM looks to boost viral vector manufacturing capabilities in cell line deal

19-Jan-2023 - Last updated on 19-Jan-2023 at 19:22 GMT

The unprecedented rise in approvals for new cell and gene therapies, and the increasing industry need for cell lines to support the production of therapeutics, has spurred US CDMO, the Center for Breakthrough Medicines (CBM), to act

It has announced a new agreement with Asimov, whereby CBM will license that Boston-based mammalian synthetic biology company’s clonal HEK293 suspension cell line for the production of viral vectors.

The move, said the Philadelphia based CDMO, allows it to offer cell and gene (CGT) therapy developers immediate access to a high-performance clonal GMP-qualified cell line for preclinical and clinical manufacturing,

Manufacturing capabilities supported by this clonal cell line will include both GMP manufacturing (up to 1000L scale) and non-GMP productions (up to 500L), reported the organization.

HEK293 cell lines are the industry standard for producing therapeutic viral vectors, the most widely used vehicle for the delivery of gene therapies, noted the contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), which was set up to address bottlenecks in the commercialization of CGTs.

The company’s process development group evaluated multiple commercially available HEK293 platforms last year, eventually selecting Asimov's one, said Sybil Danby, senior vice president of business development and strategy, CBM.

Cost reduction

"We continue to make significant investments into our technology platforms to ensure our clients have access to an end-to-end solution that allows them to develop and manufacture at lower costs,” added Avi Nandi, chief technical officer, CBM.

Alec Nielsen, Asimov's CEO, said the company’s goal is to enable partners like CBM to improve vector titers, product quality, and bioreactor scalability, in order to increase access to advanced therapies.

The deal comes close on the heels of CBM's launch of its Genesis vector manufacturing platform that includes plasmid manufacturing, process development, high-throughput GMP vector manufacturing suites, integrated testing and analytics, supply chain, and regulatory services co-located at a single site with the goal of accelerating the development and manufacturing timelines of vector-based advanced therapies.