Cellistic Launches Echo-NK Platform for Scalable NK Cell Therapy Manufacturing

• Cellistic has launched the Echo-NK platform to enable scalable, GMP-compliant manufacturing of iPSC-derived Natural Killer (NK) cell therapies.

• The solution includes automated drug product operations, pre-validated quality control testing, and is hosted within Cellistic’s EMA-certified GMP facility.

Cellistic, a specialist in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based therapies, has launched the Echo-NK platform to support the large-scale manufacture of allogeneic Natural Killer (NK) cell treatments. The new platform builds on the company’s Echo Platform introduced in 2023.

The Echo-NK system is designed to produce off-the-shelf NK cell therapies in a scalable, feeder-free process. It facilitates the differentiation of iPSCs into NK cells and carries out all key expansion steps in closed bioreactor systems. These processes are conducted at Cellistic’s EMA-certified GMP facility, which, according to the company, offers efficiencies not typically achievable with 2D methods.

The platform incorporates automated and standardised operations for drug product manufacturing, including filling, labelling, and cryopreservation. In addition, Cellistic offers pre-validated quality control testing aligned with pharmacopoeia standards, supported by a dedicated quality assurance framework.

“Our new platform for NK cell manufacturing represents a paradigm shift in cell therapy,” said Tarran Pierfelice, Chief Commercial Officer at Cellistic.

The Echo-NK platform also works with Cellistic’s Pulse cell line development and STAR-CRISPR gene-editing technology to create stable iPSC lines before the establishment of Master Cell Banks. This integration is aimed at accelerating clinical timelines while maintaining compliance and scalability. The company is currently working on client projects involving NK cell therapies across various disease areas.