Catalent, Inc. and Galapagos NV have announced a strategic collaboration to revolutionize the manufacturing approach for CAR-T cell therapy in treating non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The partnership will utilize Catalent's commercial cell therapy manufacturing facility in Princeton, New Jersey, to support clinical trials of GLPG5101, Galapagos' investigational CAR-T therapy for relapsed/refractory NHL patients.
Innovative Decentralized Manufacturing Approach
The collaboration introduces a groundbreaking decentralized manufacturing platform designed to be deployed in proximity to cancer treatment centers. This strategic positioning aims to significantly improve patient care by reducing the time between cell collection and treatment delivery. The platform delivers fresh, fit, stem-like early memory cell therapy with a median vein-to-vein time of just seven days, marking a significant advancement in CAR-T manufacturing efficiency.
A key advantage of this approach is the elimination of cryopreservation and bridging therapy requirements, which traditionally have been necessary steps in CAR-T cell production and delivery. This streamlined process could potentially reduce both the complexity and overall cost of treatment while maintaining therapy efficacy.
Geographic Coverage and Clinical Impact
The initial focus of the manufacturing network will serve cancer centers throughout New Jersey, New York, and surrounding areas. This regional approach represents a significant step toward making advanced cell therapies more accessible to patients with aggressive forms of NHL, particularly those who have exhausted other treatment options.
Delara Motlagh, Vice President of Global Cell Therapy and Plasmid DNA at Catalent, emphasized the significance of the collaboration: "Catalent is passionate about increasing patient access to life-changing cell therapies like those being developed by Galapagos. We are delighted by this collaboration to support Galapagos' decentralized cell therapy approach to bring these pioneering treatments to more patients with certain aggressive forms of NHL in a median vein-to-vein time of seven days."
Manufacturing Capabilities and Expertise
Catalent brings to the partnership its extensive experience in cell therapy manufacturing, supported by state-of-the-art facilities and a highly skilled technical team. The Princeton facility's central location serves as a strategic advantage in ensuring timely delivery of these time-sensitive therapies to nearby treatment centers.
The collaboration leverages Catalent's established position as a leading global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), with its network of more than 40 global sites and track record of supporting the launch of over a hundred new products annually.
