MaxCyte and Kamau Therapeutics Sign License to Boost Genetic Disease Cell Therapies

MaxCyte, Inc., a prominent cell-engineering company known for its platform technologies that support the development of cell-based therapies and bioprocessing applications, has entered a strategic platform license agreement with Kamau Therapeutics. Kamau is a clinical-stage company specializing in gene correction stem cell therapies.

The agreement grants Kamau non-exclusive rights to use MaxCyte’s Flow Electroporation® technology and ExPERT™ platform for research, clinical, and commercial purposes. In exchange, MaxCyte will receive annual licensing fees and program-related revenue. This collaboration aims to enhance Kamau’s capabilities in developing therapies for severe genetic conditions, including sickle cell disease (SCD).

Kamau’s approach leverages homology-directed repair (HDR) editing, an advancement over first-generation CRISPR-Cas9 technology. HDR not only cuts DNA but also provides a template for DNA repair, forming the core of Kamau’s lead investigational program, nula-cel, currently under clinical development for SCD.

Maher Masoud, President and CEO of MaxCyte, emphasized the importance of a robust manufacturing process and scalability in advancing gene therapy research. By partnering with MaxCyte, Kamau gains access to Flow Electroporation technology along with technical, regulatory, and scientific support. This collaboration is expected to optimize Kamau’s clinical manufacturing process, reduce risks, and accelerate the clinical progression of their lead product candidate aimed at curing SCD.

Matthew Porteus, MD, PhD, Co-Founder of Kamau, highlighted the transformative potential of HDR in gene editing. Through this collaboration and the use of MaxCyte’s non-viral platform, Kamau aims to treat or cure various severe genetic diseases with unmet medical needs by utilizing homology-directed repair.

MaxCyte’s ExPERT™ instruments represent the latest in electroporation technology, designed for complex and scalable cell engineering. These instruments provide high transfection efficiency, seamless scalability, and enhanced functionality, crucial for the next wave of biological and cellular therapeutics. Kamau Therapeutics becomes MaxCyte’s 29th clinical/commercial partnership, generating pre-commercial milestone revenue and program-related revenue.

MaxCyte has spent over two decades refining its expertise in cell engineering, developing platforms that support the burgeoning cell therapy market. The ExPERT™ platform, based on Flow Electroporation® technology, is equipped to aid in the discovery, development, and commercialization of next-generation cell-based medicines. The ExPERT family includes four instruments—ATx™, STx™, GTx™, and VLx™—along with a portfolio of proprietary processing assemblies and software protocols, all backed by a comprehensive intellectual property portfolio. MaxCyte provides its partners with both the technology and the support needed to transform human health.

Kamau Therapeutics stands out with its advanced gene correction platform, designed to directly correct genetic mutations with high precision. This platform is built on the pioneering research of Matthew Porteus, MD, PhD, and holds significant potential for improving human health. Kamau’s leading clinical program, nulabeglogene autogedtemcel (nula-cel), is the only hematopoietic stem-cell therapy in clinical development for SCD that precisely corrects the beta-globin gene mutation responsible for the disease. Kamau plans to enroll more patients in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial of nula-cel, which has received fast track and orphan drug designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).