Oxford Biomedica plc, a UK-based gene and cell therapy group, has initiated a new project with Orchard Therapeutics utilizing the company’s LentiStable technology.
The group also announced the signing of a new licence and supply agreement (LSA) with an undisclosed US-based private biotech company advancing a new generation of adoptive cell therapies.
LentiStable technology
As part of the project with orchard Therapeutics, Oxford Biomedica’s LentiStable technology platform will be used to develop a producer cell line capable of stably expressing lentiviral vectors.
Using this technology, the project will be focused on developing high-performing candidate clones for Orchard Therapeutics’ OTL-203, an investigational hemopoietic stem cell (HSC) gene therapy in development for the potential treatment of mucopolysaccharidosis type I Hurler’s syndrome (MPS-IH).
MPS-IH
According to MedlinePlus, Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) is a condition that affects many parts of the body.
Children with MPS I often have no signs or symptoms of the condition at birth, although some have a soft out-pouching around the belly-button (umbilical hernia) or lower abdomen (inguinal hernia).
People with severe MPS I generally begin to show other signs and symptoms of the disorder within the first year of life, while those with the attenuated form have milder features, which develop later in childhood.
HSC gene therapy
As part of an existing collaboration, established in November 2016, Orchard Therapeutics will explore the technology to increase the manufacturing efficiency and scalability of HSC gene therapy.
Oxford Biomedica’s LentiStable technology platform allows for the development of a mammalian cell line that can use a chemical inducer to generate viral vector production without the need for transient transfection. This technology has the potential to deliver producer cell lines to enable streamlined, scalable and cost-effective manufacturing.
Kyriacos Mitrophanous, chief scientific officer of Oxford Biomedica, said: “We are pleased to enter into a new project with Orchard Therapeutics, a global gene therapy leader. We are committed to innovation and to the ongoing development of our platform, which is key to our goal of widening access to gene therapy by lowering the cost of viral vector manufacturing.”
Nicoletta Loggia, chief technical officer at Orchard Therapeutics, said: “This project underscores Orchard’s commitment to continued innovation in all aspects of our operations, including manufacturing. The evaluation of stable cell producer lines is part of our focus on establishing a sustainable lentiviral vector manufacturing platform. We look forward to working with Oxford Biomedica to further explore this technology for the HSC gene therapy field.”
New partner for LentiVector platform for CAR-T therapy
The new LSA with a US company grants the new partner a non-exclusive licence to utilize Oxford Biomedica’s LentiVector platform for its application in its lead CAR-T program, and puts in place a three-year clinical supply agreement.
Under the terms of the LSA, Oxford Biomedica will receive an undisclosed upfront payment, as well as additional payments related to the development and manufacturing of lentiviral vectors for use in clinical trials. The company will also receive development and regulatory milestone payments and an undisclosed royalty on the net sales of products sold that utilize the company’s LentiVector platform.
Stuart Paynter, chief financial officer at Oxford Biomedica, said: “This new partnership further demonstrates the strength of our LentiVector platform. This is another example of our important role in supporting the development of potentially life-saving CAR-T therapies and has been made possible by the fact we’ve been able to offer strategically re-acquired targets to our customers. As a leading viral vector specialist, we look forward to continuing to build upon our position as a partner of choice in cell and gene therapy.”