Ori Biotech signs US$120M cell therapy manufacturing deal as Cellares restructures
Under the new agreement, Ori will work with its partner to modernise the manufacturing process for an autologous cell therapy.
USA—Ori Biotech has signed a 10-year partnership with an undisclosed biopharmaceutical company to integrate its Iro platform into the manufacturing of a commercial-stage cell therapy.
Under the agreement, Ori could generate up to US$120 million from services, milestones, equipment, and consumable purchases over the contract period, the company said.
Expanding automated manufacturing
The biopharmaceutical partner has asked to remain anonymous for competitive reasons, a common practice in contract manufacturing and technology agreements.
The partnership will focus on Ori’s Iro platform, which combines hardware, consumables, software, and data analytics in a closed system designed to automate cell and gene therapy manufacturing.
Ori introduced the platform in May 2024 and later received an Advanced Manufacturing Technology designation from the US Food and Drug Administration.
Ori says Iro can reduce labour and production costs while shortening manufacturing times.
The company is among several firms developing automated technologies to address the challenges of producing cell and gene therapies at commercial scale.
The Iro instrument occupies about the same space as a microwave oven. Manufacturers can also stack multiple units vertically or horizontally to increase production capacity.
Under the new agreement, Ori will work with its partner to modernise the manufacturing process for an autologous cell therapy.
The companies will first demonstrate that products manufactured using Iro are comparable with those produced through the partner’s existing commercial process.
They will then work toward establishing a flexible manufacturing system that can support current commercial supply requirements and future increases in cell therapy production.
Platform gains industry traction
Since launching Iro, Ori says it has established partnerships with 23 organisations and that adoption of the platform is expanding across the cell therapy manufacturing sector.
Earlier this year, the company reached another milestone when the first patient received a therapy manufactured on the Iro platform under Good Manufacturing Practice standards.
“The IRO platform was built precisely for this challenge: to give therapy developers the scalability, reproducibility and cost efficiency they need to realize both the clinical and commercial benefits of these groundbreaking therapies,” Ori CEO Jason Foster said in a September 15 release.
The announcement comes as Cellares, another major player in automated cell therapy manufacturing, restructures after losing an unnamed large pharmaceutical customer earlier this summer.
Cellares subsequently announced about 168 job cuts across its operations in California and New Jersey.
A company spokesperson told Fierce in August that it did not anticipate further workforce reductions linked to the restructuring.
Cellares has not identified the customer, although other reports have named Bristol Myers Squibb.
The company has said the decision was specific to that customer and maintained its commitment to its automated manufacturing platform.
A June report by data intelligence company Tracxn identified Ori and Cellares as leading companies in automated cell therapy manufacturing, citing their industry partnerships, funding and FDA Advanced Manufacturing Technology designations.
Be the first to leave a comment