Xcell Biosciences expanded its collaboration with AmplifyBio, a CDMO, by installing a new AVATAR™ Foundry system as part of Xcellbio’s beta access program. The new instrument will enable AmplifyBio’s team to advance from small-scale workflows on the previously installed AVATAR™ Odyssey platform to achieve automated cell therapy manufacturing workflows suitable for clinical use, according to an Xcellbio spokesperson.
Xcellbio and AmplifyBio have an ongoing collaboration aimed at streamlining and improving the manufacturing process for engineered T-cell receptor (TCR) therapies targeting solid tumors, which have proven difficult to treat with cell therapies due to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Through this collaboration, scientists are working to identify key elements for successful manufacture of TCR therapies, such as the relationship between various T cell conditioning matrices and product characteristics such as phenotype, metabolic profile, and potency.
Experiments already have progressed from in vitro to in vivo, and an IND filing is expected next year to target human papillomavirus-positive tumors using a conditioned, engineered TCR therapy, continued the Xcellbio official.
Xcellbio developed the AVATAR platform for cell and gene therapy R&D with the AVATAR Odyssey system designed for small-scale research and process development needs. Its latest platform, the AVATAR Foundry system, is a cGMP manufacturing platform that delivers novel capabilities for improving the potency of cell and gene therapies, said J. Kelly Ganjei, president, and CEO of AmplifyBio.
“Building on our experience with the AVATAR Odyssey system that is providing us with the tools to optimize various T cell conditioning protocols, we are excited to get access to the AVATAR Foundry system so we can progress our client’s research efforts toward automated, clinical-scale manufacturing of cell products,” continued Ganjei.
“This aligns with our mission to add cutting-edge platforms to our development sandbox that improve advanced therapies’ safety, efficacy, and manufacturing efficiency. We are particularly excited to add tools that accelerate the commercialization of therapies for solid tumors, which to date have not enjoyed the same successes as those targeting hematological malignancies.”
“The AVATAR Foundry system will allow AmplifyBio to help clients maximize the potency and tumor-killing activity of their TCR T products, while also accelerating manufacturing timelines and streamlining workflows,” noted Brian Feth, co-founder and CEO at Xcellbio.
