- Excellos, Lonza, and Akadeum Life Sciences have launched a collaborative project to improve cell therapy manufacturing by focusing on upstream quality.
- Two industry events in August will showcase the collaboration’s vision and highlight aligned innovation strategies.
Excellos, Lonza, and Akadeum Life Sciences have announced a new joint initiative to improve cell and gene therapy (CGT) manufacturing by prioritising starting material quality and exploring modular workflow integration. The collaboration aims to streamline production and reduce variability across the CGT landscape.
The project brings together complementary strengths: Excellos’ donor-to-dose capabilities, Akadeum’s flotation-based cell separation technology, and Lonza’s Cocoon® Platform, a functionally closed, automated manufacturing system. The companies intend to demonstrate how aligned platforms—from donor sourcing to automated production—can enhance consistency and therapeutic outcomes.
The immediate focus is on knowledge-sharing through two events: a symposium on 12 August at Excellos’ San Diego headquarters and a webinar on 21 August. The symposium, co-hosted with Teknova and Pluristyx, will address regulatory changes, supply chain risk, and digital tools in CGT. The webinar will feature scientific experts discussing upstream decisions and their effect on therapy scale-up and clinical performance.
“Quality at the starting point is not optional—it’s foundational,” said Rob Tressler, CSO of Excellos.
The companies view this collaboration as a step toward deeper technical integration and shared data practices in cell therapy. The initiative reflects a shared belief that better inputs—such as characterised donor material and automated, gentle processing—can lead to better therapies.
