- Xcellbio and AmplifyBio have formed a partnership to improve the manufacturing process for engineered T-cell receptor (TCR) therapies targeting solid tumours.
- The partnership will utilise Xcellbio’s AVATAR Foundry platform to enhance the potency of T cells, aiming to create more effective therapies for solid cancers.
- An IND filing is expected next year to target HPV+ tumours using an engineered TCR therapy.
Xcellbio and AmplifyBio, a contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO), have announced a partnership aimed at enhancing the manufacturing process for engineered T-cell receptor (TCR) therapies that target solid tumours. The collaboration will leverage Xcellbio’s unique AVATAR Foundry platform, which is designed to boost the fitness and potency of T cells, thereby transforming them into more effective therapies for solid cancers.
“There is a pressing need for more effective and potent therapies,” said J. Kelly Ganjei, President and CEO of AmplifyBio. “We believe that working with the Xcellbio team and their unique AVATAR Foundry platform will allow us to make significant progress in that journey.”
The joint development work will focus on improving the manufacturability and potency of engineered TCRs by significantly reducing manufacturing times and utilising non-viral workflows to produce scalable and cost-effective therapies. “Our joint development work with AmplifyBio will demonstrate how the AVATAR Foundry will improve the manufacturability and potency of engineered TCRs,” said James Lim, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Xcellbio.
The partnership will also aim to identify key elements for successful manufacture of TCR therapies, such as product characterisation matrix, correlation to metabolic profile, and potency. An IND filing is expected next year to target human papillomavirus-positive (HPV+) tumours using an engineered TCR therapy.
“We are pleased to team up with AmplifyBio, which has a strong track record in supporting the discovery, development, and manufacture of candidate therapies,” commented Brian Feth, co-founder and CEO at Xcellbio. “We’re excited to work together to demonstrate that T cells grown in the AVATAR system can achieve higher potency and greater tumour-killing activity compared to T cells grown in traditional incubators.” Scientists from both companies will present their joint poster, “Adapting T Cells for the Tumor Microenvironment (TME) During Manufacturing for Improved Anti-Tumor Potency,” at ISCT 2024. This partnership has tremendous potential to make a difference for patient care in the future.
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