The collaborators aim to enhance the productivity, safety, and performance of viral vector platforms
Minaris, a global cell and gene therapy (CGT) contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) and multimodal biosafety testing provider, and Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGT Catapult), an independent technology and innovation organisation, are collaborating on the development of CGT delivery technologies to facilitate more robust manufacturing processes, improved quality, and lower cost of goods.
Minaris is set to move its centre for viral vector innovation into CGT Catapult’s collaborator laboratories in London, where the two will work on the further development of lentiviral (LV) assays and processes. CGT Catapult will expand its capabilities and experience in LV by gaining access to Minaris’ LV processes, expertise, and proprietary platforms.
LV and adeno-associated virus (AAV) are the vehicles used in gene therapies to provide therapeutic materials for cells, and this collaboration will utilise CGT Catapult’s expertise in AAV.
This collaboration will also broaden viral vector capabilities, reinforcing CGT Catapult’s and Minaris’ ability to support advanced therapy product developers and manufacturers requiring LV and AAV platform support. The collaborators aim to enhance the productivity, safety, and performance of viral vector platforms by expanding analytical and process capabilities.
Matthew Durdy, chief executive at the CGT Catapult, said, “Minaris‘ expertise in cell and gene therapies is a valuable contribution to the UK’s advanced therapies industry. By working with Minaris to help refine the development and manufacture of lentivirus, we aim to ensure these processes are efficient, scalable, and safe for producing transformative therapies. The insights gained through this collaboration will further the CGT Catapult’s ability to support therapy developers and CDMOs to deliver high-quality AAV and LV production for a wide range of diseases.”
Orla Cloak, CEO of Minaris, said, “This move presents us with an exciting opportunity to collaborate with CGT Catapult, a UK government–backed innovation and technology organization whose mission is closely aligned with our mandate to accelerate treatments and expand access to life‑changing therapies. We look forward to bringing our decades of expertise and service to the CGT industry to this partnership, collaborating on multiple initiatives that will propel vector‑based therapeutics toward commercial manufacturing.”
