Altaris, a New York-based investment firm, has combined Minaris Regenerative Medicine with the U.S. and U.K. operations of WuXi Advanced Therapies to create Minaris Advanced Therapies, a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) dedicated to cell therapy. The new entity was unveiled at the annual International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) conference in New Orleans on May 7, 2025.
The Philadelphia-headquartered company now operates commercial-grade manufacturing facilities across three continents, with locations in Allendale, NJ and Philadelphia in the United States, Munich in Europe, and Yokohama in Japan. This global footprint has enabled the delivery of more than 7,500 GMP batches to date.
Global Manufacturing and Testing Capabilities
Minaris Advanced Therapies currently manufactures two commercial cell therapies and provides testing services for over 27 commercial products. The company offers comprehensive capabilities spanning innovative platforms, development and manufacturing for cell therapies and viral vectors, alongside extensive testing services.
"CDMOs supporting the cell therapy industry have struggled to evolve from a small-scale cottage industry to deliver cost effective manufacturing at scale," said Iain Baird, chairman of Minaris Advanced Therapies. "Our mission is to solve the development and manufacturing challenges preventing these promising therapies from successful worldwide commercialization."
The company brings together significant experience in the field, with more than 25 years of cell therapy CDMO expertise and over 40 years in biosafety testing and product characterization. This positions Minaris Advanced Therapies to support the anticipated next wave of commercial cell therapies entering the market.
Industry Expertise and Future Focus
The newly formed organization employs more than 1,400 industry professionals with deep scientific and regulatory expertise. Its testing business unit specializes in analytical method development and GMP-grade biosafety and product characterization testing services for both in-house and external programs.
Eytan Abraham, Ph.D., chief commercial and technology officer, emphasized the company's strategic vision: "Minaris Advanced Therapies is designed to help the industry treat more patients by providing the experience, global footprint, and platforms to accelerate timelines and enable commercialization. Many of the technologies needed to reduce cost of goods sold and improve turnaround time already exist, we will drive their adoption and implementation at scale."
The formation of Minaris Advanced Therapies addresses a critical industry need for scaled manufacturing capabilities that can support cell therapies beyond clinical trials and into commercial production. By combining established CDMOs with extensive testing capabilities, the company aims to overcome the manufacturing bottlenecks that have historically limited the commercial potential of promising cell therapies.
Addressing Cell Therapy Manufacturing Challenges
The cell therapy sector has faced significant challenges in transitioning from small-scale production for clinical trials to commercial-scale manufacturing. These challenges include high production costs, complex logistics, and lengthy turnaround times that can impact both treatment accessibility and commercial viability.
With its combined expertise and global infrastructure, Minaris Advanced Therapies is positioning itself to address these industry-wide challenges through standardized platforms, optimized manufacturing processes, and integrated testing capabilities that can support the entire cell therapy development and commercialization journey.
