CCRM and panCELLa partner on new master cell banks
Collaborators aim to accelerate development of novel cell therapies and aid both academia and industry
May 5, 2020
TORONTO—Recently, panCELLa and CCRM executed a collaboration agreement around the use of novel technology to generate commercial-use and clinical-grade induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines that will be made available to academia and industry to enable the development of new therapies.
“panCELLa is an innovative company and a key partner in our local ecosystem. We’re pleased to support their efforts to develop novel engineered cell lines that will enable multiple indications representing significant unmet needs,” says Michael May, president and CEO of CCRM. “This collaboration will also support other companies in our network, as CCRM and panCELLa will work together to make these high-quality cGMP lines available to the global biotechnology community.”
An early-stage biotechnology company, panCELLa spun out of research conducted at the Sinai Health System in Toronto. It will produce novel versions of the lines that are engineered for safety and the ability to evade the immune system. CCRM, a leader in developing and commercializing regenerative medicine-based technologies and cell and gene therapies, will develop master cell banks in the Centre for Cell and Vector Production (CCVP), a cGMP facility that CCRM operates with the University Health Network. The partners will both have the option to license these lines out to academic and industry partners interested in working with clinical-grade iPSCs.
“The long-standing support and commitment of CCRM to our technology was a critical component to our success in raising funds,” noted Dr. Andras Nagy, a co-founder of panCELLa. “This has enabled panCELLa to advance its platforms, making them more widely available to the regenerative medicine market. We look forward to continuing this fruitful relationship.”
CCVP is the largest cGMP facility in Toronto focused exclusively on manufacturing cells and viral vectors for Phase 1/2 clinical trials. With 10 class B clean rooms, it is designed to be Health Canada-, FDA- and EMA-compliant.
