Minaris and Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult Form Strategic Partnership to Advance Viral Vector Manufacturing
核心洞察
Minaris (搜索), a global cell and gene therapy (搜索) CDMO, will relocate its viral vector innovation center to CGT Catapult's London laboratories to enhance lentiviral assay development.
The collaboration aims to improve productivity, safety, and performance of viral vector platforms while reducing manufacturing costs for gene therapies.
CGT Catapult will expand its lentiviral capabilities through access to Minaris (搜索)' proprietary platforms and 25+ years of expertise in cell and gene therapy (搜索) development.
Minaris (搜索), a global cell and gene therapy (搜索) contract development and manufacturing organization, and the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult have announced a strategic collaboration to advance viral vector delivery technologies for gene therapies. The partnership, announced December 18, 2025, aims to develop more robust manufacturing processes, improve quality, and reduce costs for cell and gene therapy products.
Strategic Laboratory Relocation
Under the collaboration agreement, Minaris (搜索) will relocate its center for viral vector innovation to occupy space within CGT Catapult's collaborator laboratories in London. This move will facilitate joint development of lentiviral assays and processes, combining Minaris' proprietary platforms with CGT Catapult's extensive expertise in adeno-associated virus (搜索) technologies.
The partnership focuses on two critical viral vector platforms used in gene therapies: lentiviral vectors and adeno-associated virus (搜索) vectors, which serve as delivery vehicles for therapeutic material into cells. CGT Catapult will expand its capabilities in the lentiviral space through access to Minaris (搜索)' processes, expertise, and proprietary platforms.
Manufacturing and Quality Improvements
The collaboration targets improvements in productivity, safety, and performance of viral vector platforms by expanding analytical and process capabilities. Both organizations aim to support advanced therapy product developers and manufacturers requiring lentiviral and AAV platform support.
"Minaris (搜索)' expertise in cell and gene therapies is a valuable contribution to the UK's advanced therapies industry," said Matthew Durdy, chief executive at CGT Catapult. "By working with Minaris to help refine the development and manufacture of lentivirus, we aim to ensure these processes are efficient, scalable, and safe for producing transformative therapies."
Industry Impact and Expertise
Minaris (搜索) brings over 25 years of cell and gene therapy (搜索) development and manufacturing expertise to the partnership, along with more than 40 years in biosafety testing. The company operates five global sites across three continents and supports CGT innovators from investigational new drug applications through commercial supply.
Orla Cloak, CEO of Minaris (搜索), emphasized the strategic alignment between the organizations. "This move presents us with an exciting opportunity to collaborate with CGT Catapult, a UK government-backed innovation and technology organization whose mission is closely aligned with our mandate to accelerate treatments and expand access to life-changing therapies," she said.
Broader Therapeutic Applications
The enhanced capabilities resulting from this collaboration are expected to support high-quality AAV and lentiviral production for a wide range of diseases. CGT Catapult, an independent innovation and technology organization, works to create collaborations that overcome challenges in advancing the cell and gene therapy (搜索) sector.
The partnership represents a significant step toward improving the commercial viability of vector-based therapeutics by addressing key manufacturing challenges that have historically limited the scalability and cost-effectiveness of gene therapy (搜索) production.