Cell Medica Announces Start of Commercial Cell Therapy Manufacture
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Imperial Innovations Group plc has noted that its portfolio company Cell Medica has announced the start of commercial cell therapy manufacturing at its facility at the Max-Delbrück-Center of Molecular Medicine in Berlin-Buch (Germany). The first product has been successfully manufactured and delivered for use in the patient.
Manufacturing at this site will initially be focused on Cytovir™ CMV for the treatment of patients with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections following a hematopoietic stem cell (bone marrow) transplant.
Cytovir™ CMV is an individualized immune cell therapy that is comprised of naturally-occurring donor cytotoxic T cells which are transferred from a donor into an immunosuppressed patient, in order to reconstitute their immunity to Cytomegalovirus (CMV). The product is currently available to treat patients in the UK, Ireland and Germany.
Maina Bhaman, Director of Healthcare Investments at Innovations, said: “The Cytovir™ CMV cell therapy is individually manufactured for each patient so the start of commercial manufacture at this facility is a significant landmark in Cell Medica’s development. The facility has been designed specifically to provide high-volume, cost efficient production of GMP-compliant patient-specific cell therapies for distribution across Europe.
“Cell Medica is one of the very first companies of its type to have taken a product from early development into commercial sales with an industrial-scale manufacturing system, which underlines Cell Medica’s position as one of the leaders in this new field of cell therapy.
“Cell Medica will now be able to leverage this manufacturing capability across a broad range of T-cell immunotherapy products, including both infectious disease and its exciting oncology programme.”
On 25 November, Innovations led a £50m series B funding round in Cell Medica alongside co-investors Invesco Asset Management and Woodford Investment Management. Innovations committed £15m to the round and holds a 27.9% stake in the issued share capital of the Company.
