Univercells Technologies & UPENN Expand Gene Therapy Partnership

Donaldson, a global provider of innovative biomanufacturing technologies, with its Univercells Technologies business, said that the Gene Therapy Program at the University of Pennsylvania (GTP) is expanding its evaluation agreement aimed at determining the scalability of GTP’s gene therapy product manufacturing using Univercells Technologies’ bioreactors. GTP is an academic program focused on genetic medicines led by James M. Wilson, MD, PhD, the Rose H. Weiss Professor and Director of the Orphan Disease Center and a professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine.

GTP, renowned for its pioneering work in gene therapy, seeks to make gene therapies for rare diseases accessible worldwide. This agreement covers GTP’s evaluation of the commercial-series scale-X nitro 600 square metter bioreactor, with the goal of substantially increasing production per batch and potentially reducing cost of goods sold (COGS).

 

This work between GTP and Univercells Technologies underscores the importance of industry-academic partnerships in advancing the field of gene therapy and accelerating the development and commercialization of life-changing treatments for patients worldwide.

“We are honored to extend our collaborative work with GTP in evaluating the scalability of gene therapy production,” said Mathias Garny, General Manager at Univercells Technologies. “Our mission aligns closely with GTP’s vision of making gene therapies more accessible globally, and we are committed to supporting their efforts with our innovative bioprocessing technologies.”

Univercells Technologies developed the scale-X bioreactor with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Grand Challenge initiative. Originally designed to lower the cost of viral vaccine production for critical public health vaccines, the scale-X bioreactor is now being applied to enable viral vector accessibility for gene therapies.

According to Dr. Wilson, “Our hope is that Univercells Technologies will improve the efficiency of AAV vector manufacturing and help play a role in decreasing costs and enabling access through more affordable prices in the future.”