Cell therapy weekly: US$1 billion acquisition to further foster cell therapy services
This week: A strategic partnership has been announced to support the development of a dual-targeting in vivo CAR-T therapy, and a developer and supplier of cell processing tools and services is to be acquired for US$1 billion. Plus, Immitra Bio (Plan-les-Ouates, Switzerland) secured US$3 million in pre-seed funding to support its in vivo scalable gene editing platform.
The news highlights:
- Collaboration for next-generation in vivo CAR-T
- US$1 billion acquisition of a developer and supplier of cell processing tools and services
- US$3 million pre-seed funding for in vivo gene editing platform
Collaboration for next-generation in vivo CAR-T
A strategic partnership has unfolded between Tempest Therapeutics (CA, USA) and Hebei Senlang Biotechnology (Hebei, China) to develop an in vivo dual-targeting CAR-T candidate, TPST-4003. Designed to address a range of autoimmune and oncology indications, TPST-4003 utilizes CD7-targeted mRNA/lipid nanoparticle delivery to enable direct engagement of endogenous CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell populations for CAR generation in vivo. This partnership leverages Senlang’s extensive expertise in CD7-targeted CAR-T development.
The first activity carried out through the partnership will be an investor-initiated trial evaluating TPST-4003 in approximately 10 patients with myasthenia gravis or multiple sclerosis.
“Through this partnership, we plan to rapidly and efficiently advance into first-in-human studies to generate clinical evidence in support of our next generation in vivo CAR-T pipeline and platform technologies. We expect to begin dosing patients in the fourth quarter of this year with initial safety and [pharmacodynamic] data from the first patients expected as early as the first half of 2027,” commented Matt Angel, CEO of Tempest.
US$1 billion acquisition of a developer and supplier of cell processing tools and services
Life science company Repligen Corporation (MA, USA) is to acquire BioLife Solutions (WA, USA) for approximately US$1.5 billion in total enterprise value. The acquisition will provide BioLife with access to Repligen’s global commercial network, including Asia-Pacific markets, while adding BioLife’s existing customer relationships to Repligen’s portfolio.
“Over the past several years, we have successfully repositioned BioLife around our market-leading biopreservation media franchise, while strengthening our financial profile and establishing a durable foundation for profitable growth,” explained Roderick de Greef, Chairman and CEO of BioLife. “Repligen shares our commitment to providing innovative, differentiated and enabling tools that help customers bring important therapies to patients. Its global commercial reach, complementary technologies and proven operating capabilities make Repligen an ideal partner for BioLife. This Transaction will expand the reach and impact of our portfolio, while providing BioLife stockholders with immediate cash value and the opportunity to participate in Repligen’s future growth.”
US$3 million pre-seed funding for in vivo gene editing platform
Immitra Bio has secured US$3 million in pre-seed funding to advance its scalable in vivo gene editing platform.
“Our goal is to make gene editing therapies scalable, commercially viable, and accessible to patients. Our platform has the potential to generate dozens of highly differentiated therapeutic assets in an accelerated fashion,” elaborated Immitra Bio’s CEO and Co-founder, Jan Nelis.
The platform is designed to address key challenges of current gene editing therapies, including ex vivo cell processing, patient conditioning, stem cell transplantation and personalized therapy requirements.
The pre-seed funding will primarily advance preclinical studies of IB-003, Immitra Bio’s lead in vivo gene editing candidate targeting a one-time cure for an inherited anemia.
