CCRM, OmniaBio and Avectas Partner to Evaluate Next-Generation Automated Cell Therapy Manufacturing Platform
核心洞察
CCRM (搜索) and its CDMO subsidiary OmniaBio have entered an agreement with Avectas to evaluate its automated, integrated, and scalable cell therapy manufacturing platform.
The evaluation aims to address key manufacturing challenges including scale-up, scale-out, automation, and cost-effectiveness that currently limit patient access to cell therapies.
The collaboration aligns with CCRM (搜索)'s global hub-and-spoke model expansion, including a proposed new hub in Ireland through an MOU with the RINN Advanced Therapies (搜索) centre.
CCRM (搜索) and its contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) subsidiary OmniaBio Inc. (搜索) have announced an agreement with Irish-headquartered Avectas Limited (搜索) to evaluate the company's automated, integrated and scalable cell therapy manufacturing platform. The evaluation, announced on June 15, 2026, will explore how Avectas' technology could complement CCRM's expanding global network and OmniaBio's efforts to enable more standardized, automated and scalable manufacturing workflows for advanced therapies.
The collaboration brings together three organizations with distinct but complementary capabilities in the cell and gene therapy ecosystem. CCRM (搜索), a global public-private partnership headquartered in Canada, supports the development of regenerative medicines and associated enabling technologies with a specific focus on cell and gene therapy. OmniaBio, established by CCRM in 2022, is Canada's largest CDMO focused on cell and gene therapies and is currently developing an AI-enabled Intelligent Factory designed to increase manufacturing efficiency, scalability and consistency through automation and robotics.
Addressing Manufacturing Bottlenecks
Avectas has developed a next-generation cell therapy manufacturing platform specifically aimed at addressing persistent challenges in the field — scale-up, scale-out, automation and cost-effective manufacturing. These challenges, the partners note, continue to limit patient access to breakthrough cell therapies. The evaluation will assess how Avectas' platform can integrate with CCRM (搜索)'s global hub-and-spoke model, which combines centralized and distributed process and analytics capabilities to support regional manufacturing of cell and other advanced therapies.
"We first collaborated with Avectas in 2020 and have closely followed the progress of Avectas' manufacturing platform over the past several years," said Dr. Michael May, PhD, President and CEO of CCRM (搜索) and Interim CEO of OmniaBio. "As we continue to expand CCRM's global network of advanced therapy hubs, we are excited to evaluate technologies that have the potential to improve automation, scalability and manufacturing efficiency. Platforms designed for complex cell therapy workflows will be critical to enabling regional manufacturing and expanding affordable access to breakthrough cell therapies for patients around the world."
Global Network Expansion and Ireland Hub
CCRM (搜索)'s global network currently includes hubs in Canada, Australia and the Nordic countries. The organization recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the newly-funded RINN Advanced Therapies (搜索) to explore establishing CCRM Ireland alongside key partners in the local ecosystem. The proposed Irish hub is intended to strengthen advanced therapy development and manufacturing capabilities in Ireland while creating new opportunities for international collaboration and technology deployment.
Dr. Michael Maguire, PhD, CEO of Avectas, highlighted the geopolitical significance of the timing: "This is an important moment for advanced therapies in Ireland and internationally. The Irish and Canadian governments have announced a Memorandum of Understanding to expand life science collaboration between the two countries, coordinated with a visit by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to Ireland and coinciding with the announcement of funding for the Research Ireland RINN Centre for Advanced Therapies."
Dr. Maguire added: "We are excited at the prospect of a CCRM (搜索) Ireland and proud to be selected to have our cell therapy manufacturing platform evaluated at CCRM and OmniaBio at such an important moment, as advanced therapies infrastructure continues to develop in Ireland and globally."
OmniaBio specializes in clinical and commercial manufacturing of immune cell-based therapies, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) therapies, CAR-T, and lentiviral vectors. The evaluation of Avectas' platform represents a strategic step toward integrating next-generation automation technologies into these manufacturing workflows, with the ultimate goal of reducing costs and expanding patient access to transformative cell and gene therapies worldwide.