Cellular Origins, a TTP Company focused on cell and gene therapies (CGTs), has entered an international collaboration with Thermo Fisher Scientific.

The partnership will combine Thermo Fisher’s cell culture and processing technology and Cellular Origins’ CGT robotic manufacturing platform, Constellation, to deliver full, robotic, 24/7 production of CGTs to the advanced therapy sector at industrial scale. 

Both companies aim to achieve the largest production output of CGTs per square meter of manufacturing space and the lowest labor requirements currently available within a digitally integrated framework.

The two companies completed the integration work on the physical adaptation of Thermo Fisher products to Cellular Origins’ robotic platform. The first customer installation of a robotically operated Constellation platform with the integration of Thermo Scientific Heracell VIOS AxD CO2 incubator technology has been completed at the Digital and Automation Testbeds in the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult’s Stevenage Manufacturing Innovation Centre, Stevenage, UK. 

The primary aim of the collaboration will be to support scaling up late-stage trials and commercial production, where automated robotic manufacturing solutions are most needed. They will work towards optimizing the best use and layout of hardware in a facility at the most efficient unit operation ratios and for the greatest degree of output, with the smallest degree of risk.

The modularity and configurability of Constellation allow unit operation densities to be increased for those that require it most, including an unlimited increase in high-throughput cell culture capability to scale up CGT production. When used jointly with the VIOS AxD CO2 Incubator, the starting material receives the highest level of protection throughout culturing. 

The advancements delivered by Cellular Origins’ technology, including over 51% increased utilization of manufacturing space and a 16-fold reduction in labor requirements and will reduce the overall cost of goods of CGTs by over 51%.

Douglas Wernerspach, Sr. Business Director/General Manager – CO2 Incubators and Biological Safety Cabinets, Thermo Fisher Scientific, said, “Increasing automation, manufacturing and throughput, and reduced need for human labor will be essential for the CGT sector to continue to advance. As a result, we are working with Cellular Origins to provide a full industrialized manufacturing service to the sector.”