Cell & gene therapies

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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.

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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.

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Ocugen starts clinical trials for retinal gene therapy candidate

By Rachel Arthur

The first patient has been dosed in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial of OCU400, a modifier gene therapy candidate for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) resulting from mutations in the nuclear receptor subfamily 2 group E member 3 (NR2E3) and Rhodopsin...

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Milestone approval for Kite CAR-T cell therapy

By Jane Byrne

The US FDA has approved Yescarta, Kite's CAR-T cell therapy, for initial treatment in adults with large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) that is refractory to one prior therapy or that relapses within 12 months of first-line chemoimmunotherapy.