The Solupore platform looks to support the burgeoning industry pipeline of cell and gene therapies by supporting the non-viral cell engineering of therapeutics.
At present, a shortage in capacity for the production of viral vectors, used in the development of cell and gene therapies, has resulted in waiting lists being established for companies to have access to the limited supply.
Avectas and CCRM (Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine) have partnered with the aim of addressing this need, by facilitating the Solupore platform into the clinic.
According to Avectas, its platform utilizes a membrane disruptive approach to deliver nucleic acids and proteins to cells. The Irish company is currently developing a closed continuous system for good manufacturing practice (GMP) manufacturing.
In terms of the benefits of its method of cell engineering, the company stated that “unlike industry standards, Avectas technology is gentle to the cells allowing rapid recovery and functionality. There is no stall time in cell proliferation resulting in a faster cell engineering process.”
The technology is also scalable and can be adjusted to the volume of cells needed for clinical therapies, suggested Avectas. The potential molecules that could be generated by this approach include mRNA, proteins and gene editing tools.
For its part, CCRM is a non-profit organization that is able to offer expertise in stem cell and biomaterials technologies through its strategic advisory board, which combines expertise from Canadian and US universities, amongst other global participants.
In addition, the CCRM has a network of industry companies, which features Amgen, Pfizer, Pall, and Roche.
Michael Maguire, CEO of Avectas, said: “We are delighted to partner with CCRM to leverage their deep experience in cell manufacturing processes to support the translation of our Solupore platform towards clinical applications.”
As well as looking to partner with immuno-oncology and gene editing business to produce their drug candidates, Avectas noted that it is also looking to in-license therapeutic molecules to build its own pipeline of potential products.
