Quell Therapeutics Ltd, a leader in engineered T-regulatory (Treg) cell therapies, and eXmoor pharma, a cell and gene therapy (CGT) manufacturing partner, have announced a strategic partnership to manufacture Quell’s pipeline of autologous engineered CAR-Treg cell therapies for autoimmune diseases.
 
Quell’s innovative Foxp3 Phenotype Lock technology and multi-modular platform enable the development of highly targeted, potent, and persistent Treg cell therapies. The company has extensive experience in process development and manufacturing of CAR-Treg product candidates, as demonstrated by its ongoing LIBERATE Phase 1/2 trial with QEL-001 in liver transplant patients.
 
Under the multi-year agreement, Quell and eXmoor will collaborate on process transfer, scale-up, and Phase 1/2 clinical manufacturing of multiple CAR-Treg cell therapy candidates. eXmoor will dedicate manufacturing capacity at its new Cell & Gene Therapy Centre in Bristol, UK. In August 2024, eXmoor received its GMP license from the MHRA, solidifying its position as a full-service contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with integrated process development, analytical labs, GMP clean rooms, and fill/finish capabilities.
 
Aaron Vernon, Chief Manufacturing Officer at Quell Therapeutics, said: “Building on our manufacturing experience producing QEL-001 for the LIBERATE clinical trial, this partnership will provide increased capacity to manufacture our emerging pipeline of CAR-Treg product candidates and move them into clinical development. Quell and eXmoor have worked productively and successfully together for several years, and we are excited to extend our relationship with them to support our clinical manufacturing needs.”
 
“Quell’s CAR-Treg expertise and our long-standing collaboration make them an excellent first manufacturing client in our new, state-of-the-art facilities and we are committed to creating a true partnership,” said Angela Osborne, CEO of eXmoor pharma. “eXmoor’s first cell therapy experience in 2007 was with Tregs so there is symmetry in this being the focus of our first manufactured products. Quell has made tremendous progress with its therapeutic programs and we are proud to be supporting them in accelerating the progression of their next-generation cell therapies into patient trials.”
 
This partnership marks a significant step forward for Quell as it seeks to advance its pipeline of promising CAR-Treg cell therapies for autoimmune diseases. eXmoor’s expertise in CGT manufacturing will be instrumental in ensuring the consistent production of high-quality products for clinical trials.