BUSINESS corner ExCellThera announces collaboration with New York Blood Center Montréal based ExCellThera Inc., advanced clinical stage biotechnology company, delivers molecules and bioengineering solutions to expand stem and immune cells for use in novel one-time curative therapies for patients with hematologic malignancies, autoimmune and other diseases. Their lead therapy, ECT-001, combines the proprietary molecule UM171 with an optimized culture system. In its collaboration with the New York Blood Center (NYBC), ExCellThera will have access to NYBC’s clean room manufacturing facilities to produce ECT-001 to be used in clinical trials mostly in the U.S. “The New York Blood Center holds one of the world’s largest blood banks and has over 50 years of leadership in research and development, medical services and laboratory services. We are extremely pleased to enter into this multi-year agreement which will allow us to work closer together and leverage their leadership and exper-
tise in this specialized field,” said David Millette, Chief Operating and Financial Officer at ExCellThera. ExCellThera expects substantial scale-up in the production of ECT-001 to meet the needs of new clinical trials during these final phases
of clinical development. The FDA has granted ECT-001 orphan drug designation for the prevention of graft-versus-host disease and regenerative medicine advanced therapy designation in the treatment of hematologic malignancies.
CCRM
is your partner in cell and gene therapy manufacturing Adjacent to world-class research hospitals, and near Toronto Pearson International Airport, the Centre for Cell and Vector Production provides GMP manufacturing of cells and viral vectors for Phase I/II trials. The facility has robust and phase-appropriate quality systems that are designed for USFDA, EMA and Health Canada compliance. Lab services include cell reprogramming and gene editing, technology translation, protocol and process development. CCRM has expertise in purification, packaging, bioreactor optimization, media development, downstream product concentration and scale up/out manufacturing. CCRM’s deep expertise in process development and GMP manufacturing provides a comprehensive approach to supporting regenerative medicine discoveries from concept to market. Collaboration, project management, transparency and frequent interaction with technical leadership are the core of its philosophy. Learn more at ccrm.ca.
The Centre for Cell and Vector Production (CCVP) A transparent and flexible approach to manufacturing
• 10 suites: 2 Viral Vector, 8 Cell Therapy
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• ISO Class 7/Grade B clean rooms for Phase I/II trials • CAR-T, PSC, LVV and AAV
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CONTACT US cdmo@ccrm.ca +1 416-978-3751 www.ccrm.ca June/July 2019 BIOTECHNOLOGY FOCUS 9
