Celularity Inc. (Nasdaq: CELU) has forged a strategic manufacturing partnership with clinical-stage cell therapy company BlueSphere Bio (BSB), marking a significant development in the cell therapy manufacturing landscape. The collaboration centers on the production of BSB's innovative T cell receptor (TCR) T-cell therapies at Celularity's state-of-the-art facility in Florham Park, New Jersey.
Manufacturing Partnership Details
The Master Services Collaboration Agreement encompasses comprehensive manufacturing support, including Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC), Quality Assurance, and Quality Control. Celularity will dedicate specialized staff and allocate space within its 37,000-square-foot cGMP-ready commercial manufacturing facility for BSB's cell therapy production.
Under the agreement, BlueSphere Bio will maintain oversight of its second cell therapy product's production, targeting Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) for both domestic and international markets. This arrangement allows BSB to advance its therapeutic pipeline while leveraging Celularity's established manufacturing infrastructure.
Strategic Significance
Robert J. Hariri, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and Chair of Celularity, emphasized the strategic importance of the collaboration: "This partnership combines our core strengths in cell manufacturing and process development with BSB's innovative cell therapies for high-risk leukemias. Our significant investment in manufacturing and development infrastructure is now creating collaborative opportunities for companies seeking transformative GMP manufacturing alternatives."
BlueSphere Bio's CEO, Keir Loiacono, highlighted the critical nature of reliable manufacturing capabilities in cell therapy development: "The quality of Celularity's business model and facility will provide BlueSphere with the necessary tools to advance our assets to the clinic in an affordable fashion, without relinquishing control over our processes."
Therapeutic Pipeline Progress
BlueSphere Bio is advancing two significant clinical programs:
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BSB-1001: A TCR T-cell therapy targeting minor histocompatibility antigen-1 (HA-1), scheduled to begin patient dosing in combination with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant for high-risk AML patients in the first half of 2025.
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TCX-102 Program: An autologous therapy targeting mutant NPM-1, with an Investigational New Drug (IND) application expected in the second quarter of 2025.
This collaboration represents Celularity's second manufacturing partnership, demonstrating the company's expanding role in providing specialized manufacturing services to the cell therapy industry. The agreement leverages Celularity's extensive experience in cellular and regenerative medicine, while supporting BlueSphere Bio's mission to develop innovative treatments for leukemia patients.
