Terumo BCT and BioCentriq to generate public CAR-T cell data
On the heels of BioCentriq’s LEAP advanced therapy platform launch in June, the companies aim to publish the first publicly available data on rapid CAR-T cell manufacturing using Terumo’s Quantum Flex and Finis platforms.
The study is designed to show how quickly a cell therapy company can generate large volumes of high-quality CAR-T cells.
According to both companies, the workflow being developed is lower in complexity and rapidly GMP-translatable owing to the synergies between Terumo’s technology and BioCentriq’s process expertise.
CAR-T cells in autologous therapies are made by engineering a patient’s own T cells to fight their cancer, then growing enough to make a dose.
Terumo’s technology provides a cell culture environment where cells gain continuous access to fresh media, waste removal and gas exchange, ensuring optimal conditions for the weeks-long cell therapy production process.
Earlier this year, Terumo presented data demonstrating that Quantum Flex expanded 6 million unmodified CD3+ T cells to over 2 billion viable cells in just eight days.
Moving forward, the company aims to share the first public data demonstrating how its platforms can be utilized in a commercial-ready CAR-T workflow.
Kathie Schneider, director, global commercial lead, cell therapy technologies at Terumo, said: “Collaboration is key to progress in the cell and gene therapy industry, and we are committed to helping meet the urgent patient need. From the beginning of our collaboration in 2021, we have been aligned with BioCentriq in our shared efforts to enhance manufacturing for the next generation of cell therapies. This makes them a natural partner to help demonstrate the unique capabilities of our hollow-fiber perfusion technology and Finia platform.”
David Smith, vice president of development at BioCentriq, added: “Integrating cutting-edge technology like Terumo’s Quantum Flex with BioCentriq’s LEAP(TM) process platform for CAR-T cell therapies could help reduce development and scale-up timelines by 75% and ultimately, bring these promising cell therapies to patients. The results of this study will give CAR-T therapy developers data they can reference as they evaluate the potential of process platforms to accelerate their timeline and reduce their costs.”
