Novartis signs deal with Carisma Therapeutics for contract manufacturing business

SWITZERLAND – Novartis has signed an agreement to manufacture Carisma Therapeutics’ HER2-targeted CAR-M cell therapy, which is currently being studied for the treatment of solid tumors.

Carisma will begin transferring its manufacturing process to a Novartis Cell Therapy facility in Morris Plains, New Jersey, “in the coming days,” according to Novartis.

The pharmaceutical giant intends to begin clinical manufacturing of the cell therapy candidate next year.

“As one of the world’s largest producers of medicines, Novartis can mobilize its manufacturing capacity in an efficient way on multiple fronts,” said Anton Gerdenitsch, head of Novartis Technical Operations’ contract manufacturing organization.

Novartis says it will continue to lend its manufacturing muscle to other companies, but “further specifics will be disclosed when agreements are concluded.”

So far, the company’s contract manufacturing ambitions have been narrowly focused on COVID-19.

Novartis agreed last year to contribute to the production of Pfizer and BioNTech’s mRNA-based vaccine Comirnaty, helping to fill shots at sites in Switzerland and Slovenia.

In addition, in March, the company signed an initial manufacturing agreement with German mRNA specialist CureVac, and in April, it agreed to reserve active pharmaceutical ingredient capacity for Roche’s rheumatoid arthritis drug Actemra in Singapore.

Meanwhile, CAR-M therapies aren’t all that different from CAR-T therapies like Novartis’ cancer treatment Kymriah.

Immune cells are extracted from patients, modified, and then reintroduced into the body for the manufacturing process. CAR-M therapies, on the other hand, are made of macrophages, as opposed to CAR-T therapies.

While Novartis ramps up its contract manufacturing operations, the fate of its generics unit Sandoz remains unknown.

In October, the Swiss pharma began a strategic review of the business unit, stating that all options, including retention and potential separation, were on the table.

So far, the generics unit has reportedly attracted several suitors, including the Swedish-based investment group EQT and the German Struengmann family.

Further to that, SCG Cell Therapy and A*STAR’s BTI have signed a collaboration agreement to advance the development of antibodies for infectious diseases and cancer treatments.

On March 10, 2022, SCG Cell Therapy, a Singapore-based biotechnology company, announced a collaboration agreement with A*STAR’s Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI) to advance the development of multi-specific antibodies for infectious diseases and cancer treatments.

The companies’ collaboration will aid in the discovery of novel therapeutic antibodies as well as the development of chemistry, manufacturing, and control (CMC) processes to produce more effective, safe, and affordable treatments for patients suffering from infectious diseases and cancer-related diseases.

There is a particular emphasis on hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human papillomavirus (HPV), motivated by the 33 million people in Southeast Asia who have chronic hepatitis B virus, as well as the nearly 200,000 deaths from cervical cancer in Asia.

Multi-specific antibodies can target multiple antigens on the same or different cells, which is critical in cancer treatment.

These antibodies interfere with cancer development or progression by increasing tumor killing selectivity and promoting immune activity.

Liked this article? Sign up to receive our regular email newsletters, focused on Africa and World’s healthcare industry, directly into your inbox. SUBSCRIBE HERE