AGC Biologics, a global biopharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), has expanded its partnership with Rocket Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage company advancing an integrated and sustainable pipeline of genetic therapies for rare childhood disorders.
 
Through the expanded partnership, AGC Biologics will bolster the security of supply of Rocket Pharmaceuticals across their entire lentiviral vector (LVV) pipeline, with the manufacture of LVV. LVV manufacturing will be performed utilizing both the 48L Cell Factory Systems and iCellis 500 bioreactor platforms. All services are currently being performed at AGC Biologics’ state-of-the-art Center of Excellence for Cell and Gene Therapy services in Milan, Italy.
 
“We are honored that Rocket has placed so much trust with us, as demonstrated by our expanding partnership,” said Mark Womack, AGC Biologics’ chief business officer. “We’re incredibly proud of the cell and gene therapy services and offerings we’ve brought to market to assist our partners in providing life-changing treatments for those living with rare diseases.”
 
In response to their customer needs and market demand, AGC Biologics has developed a reproducible, high quality and quantity process for the industrial-scale production of LVV. This process allows for the successful scale of LVV manufacture without affecting critical quality attributes (CQA), ultimately improving the commercial viability of LVV-based gene therapies.