USA—Bristol Myers Squibb, a renowned American biopharmaceutical company, has formed a strategic alliance with Cellares, a pioneer in Integrated Development and Manufacturing Organizations (IDMOs) that specialize in clinical and industrial-scale cell therapy manufacturing.
This global collaboration includes a capacity reserve and supply agreement worth up to $380 million in upfront and milestone payments, primarily for the manufacture of CAR T cell treatments.
Under the terms of the partnership, Cellares will optimize, automate, and transfer selected Bristol Myers Squibb CAR T cell therapies to its cutting-edge production platform, the Cell Shuttle.
Bristol Myers Squibb will use multiple Cell Shuttles and Cell Q systems at Cellares’ Smart Factories in the US, EU, and Japan. These systems are fully automated and have high-throughput quality control capabilities.
Given the extensive operational and technical complexity inherent in cell therapy production, especially in light of their growing demand and revolutionary influence on a variety of diseases, this collaboration represents a significant step forward for both sides.
For Bristol Myers Squibb, it represents an increase in manufacturing capacity to fulfill the growing demand for its wide line of cell treatments.
Utilizing a scalable platform, such as Cellares’ technology, has the potential to improve turnaround times, hence accelerating the delivery of cell therapies to a larger patient population..
In addition, Bristol Myers Squibb has joined Cellares’ Technology Adoption Partnership (TAP) Program to evaluate the Cell Shuttle’s automated manufacturing capabilities.
Lynelle B. Hoch, President of Bristol Myers Squibb’s Cell Therapy Organization, said the partnership with Cellares exemplifies the company’s dedication to improving CAR T therapy and assuring widespread patient access to breakthrough medicines.
Hoch went on to emphasize the importance of integrating Cellares’ cutting-edge automation technology with Bristol Myers Squibb’s current production infrastructure, which will strengthen the company’s ability to satisfy rising demand for CAR T cell medicines.
In his speech, Fabian Gerlinghaus, CEO and co-founder of Cellares, explained how the relationship with Bristol Myers Squibb fits into Cellares’ overall plan of developing a global network of high-throughput, automated Smart Factories to meet the growing global demand for cell therapies.
He also emphasized Cellares’ technology’s disruptive potential for standardizing and speeding commercial-scale manufacturing, improving worldwide access to life-saving cell treatments.
This latest arrangement expands on Bristol Myers Squibb and Cellares’ existing cooperation, which began with the former’s investment in Cellares’ Series C funding in August 2023.
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