Charles River, Captain T Cell ink vector production deal

Charles River Laboratories has forged a significant collaboration with German biotech company Captain T Cell to advance gene-modified cell therapy. This partnership aims to focus on the production of plasmid DNA and retrovirus vectors essential for developing cell therapies. The collaboration is part of Charles River’s Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Accelerator Program, which offers companies like Captain T Cell access to comprehensive contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) expertise and advisory services.

Captain T Cell is preparing to manufacture a TCR-T cell therapy designed to target solid tumors. This therapy is expected to enter Phase I clinical trials, offering a novel treatment option for patients with hard-to-treat solid tumors. The company specializes in developing treatments for solid tumors, striving to enhance T cell immunotherapies' applicability to a broader range of patients. Captain T Cell's approach involves engineering T cells with tumor-specific T cell receptors (TCRs) that exhibit improved persistence and resilience in the challenging tumor microenvironment.

Central to advancing its gene-modified cell therapy to clinical stages, Captain T Cell will leverage Charles River’s extensive expertise in plasmid and viral vector production. Charles River has honed these capabilities to support CGT developers from the preclinical stage through to commercialization. The company has significantly expanded its cell and gene therapy portfolio through strategic acquisitions and facility expansions. These initiatives aim to streamline complex supply chains and meet the growing demand for plasmid DNA, viral vectors, and cell therapy services.

Kerstin Dolph, Charles River's global manufacturing corporate senior vice-president, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership: “We are thrilled to work with the Captain T Cell team to support the manufacture of its TCR-T cell cancer immunotherapy. Charles River has decades of success reliably manufacturing plasmid DNA, viral vectors, and cell therapies, helping to safeguard our customer programs and bring potential therapies to patients with limited options.”

This collaboration marks a strategic milestone for both companies. For Captain T Cell, it represents a crucial step towards bringing pioneering cancer treatments to clinical trials. For Charles River, it underscores the company’s commitment to expanding its capabilities in the burgeoning cell and gene therapy sector.

The broader context of this partnership highlights the growing momentum in the cell and gene therapy industry. A new wave of therapies promises to revolutionize how doctors treat, and potentially cure, various diseases. As companies like Charles River and Captain T Cell push the boundaries of medical science, they face both exciting opportunities and significant challenges. The industry is rapidly evolving, and collaborations like this one are essential for translating groundbreaking research into viable treatments for patients.

In summary, the collaboration between Charles River Laboratories and Captain T Cell is poised to make significant strides in the field of gene-modified cell therapy. By combining their respective strengths, the two companies aim to develop innovative treatments that could offer new hope to patients with solid tumors resistant to existing therapies. This alliance is a testament to the transformative potential of cell and gene therapies and the critical role of strategic partnerships in advancing medical science.