Quell Therapeutics Boosts CAR-Treg Cell Therapy Production via eXmoor Collaboration

Quell Therapeutics Ltd, a leader in engineered T-regulatory (Treg) cell therapies for immune system-related medical conditions, has announced a significant partnership with eXmoor pharma, a full-service cell and gene therapy (CGT) manufacturing partner. This collaboration will focus on the production of multiple CAR-Treg cell therapies targeting autoimmune diseases.

Quell is known for its innovative Foxp3 Phenotype Lock™ technology and multi-modular platform, which are instrumental in creating Treg cell therapies that are highly targeted, potent, and stable in the target tissue. The company has extensive expertise in the development and manufacture of CAR-Treg products, which will be utilized to deliver high-quality treatments for its ongoing LIBERATE Phase 1/2 trial that includes QEL-001 for liver transplant patients.

The new multi-year agreement stipulates that Quell and eXmoor will collaborate on the process transfer, scale-out, and Phase 1/2 clinical manufacture of various autologous CAR-Treg cell therapy candidates in Quell’s pipeline. eXmoor will provide dedicated manufacturing capacity within its newly established Cell & Gene Therapy Centre in Bristol, UK. In August 2024, eXmoor received its GMP license from the MHRA, completing its journey to becoming a full-service contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO). This facility is equipped with integrated process development and analytical labs, four GMP clean rooms, and fill/finish capabilities to support the scale-up, optimization, and manufacture of cell therapies, RNA therapies, and viral vectors.

Aaron Vernon, Chief Manufacturing Officer at Quell Therapeutics, emphasized the importance of this partnership in expanding their manufacturing capacity to support the clinical development of their CAR-Treg product candidates. He noted that Quell and eXmoor have had a successful working relationship for several years, and this new agreement will further enhance their collaboration.

Angela Osborne, CEO of eXmoor pharma, expressed excitement about having Quell as the first client in their new state-of-the-art facilities. She highlighted the historical significance of Tregs to eXmoor, dating back to their first cell therapy experience in 2007. Osborne praised Quell’s progress with their therapeutic programs and expressed pride in supporting the advancement of their next-generation cell therapies into patient trials.

Quell Therapeutics is at the forefront of developing Treg cell therapies designed to harness and optimize their immune-suppressive properties to treat serious immune system-driven medical conditions. The company’s lead candidate, QEL-001, is currently being tested in the LIBERATE clinical trial to evaluate its potential to induce operational tolerance following liver transplantation, with the aim of protecting the liver post-transplant without the need for chronic immunosuppressive medications. Additionally, Quell is advancing other programs in neuroinflammatory and autoimmune diseases, both internally and in collaboration with AstraZeneca.

eXmoor pharma, established in 2004 and specializing in the CGT sector since 2007, is a comprehensive cell-and-gene-therapy partner that accelerates the journey from research to patient treatment. With a combination of GMP manufacturing capabilities and consulting groups specializing in translation and capital, eXmoor has successfully completed over 500 projects for 150 organizations. The company is headquartered in Bristol, UK, and plans to expand its workforce to 200 employees by 2027.

This strategic partnership between Quell Therapeutics and eXmoor pharma marks a significant step forward in the development and manufacturing of innovative cell therapies aimed at treating autoimmune diseases, leveraging cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art facilities to bring new treatments to clinical trials.