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Cellares has secured $255 million in a series C funding led by new investor Koch Disruptive Technologies with cell therapy leader Bristol Myers Squibb also participating in the round alongside DFJ Growth, Willett Advisors and existing investors Eclipse, Decheng Capital and 8VC.
Cellares, the first Integrated Development and Manufacturing Organization (IDMO) dedicated to clinical and industrial-scale cell therapy manufacturing, will use the new funding to launch the world’s first commercial-scale IDMO smart Factory. The 118,000-square-foot facility will seamlessly integrate advanced robotics, purpose-built technology, and interconnected software, capable of producing 40,000 cell therapy batches per year. The IDMO Smart Factories can produce 10 times more cell therapy batches per year than traditional CDMO facilities by leveraging integrated technologies.
“Cellares is driving transformation in the marketplace by combining an Industry 4.0 approach with full vertical integration. As the first IDMO, Cellares is empowering cell therapy companies to build viable businesses, remain competitive, and meet the needs of fast-growing patient populations,” said David Mauney, managing director of Koch Disruptive Technologies.
Cellares’ Smart Factories will be deployed around the world to enable the cell therapy industry to meet global patient demand by having flexible manufacturing technology supporting autologous and allogeneic cell therapy processes and up to 90% of cell therapy modalities. The Cell Shuttle platform integrates all the technologies required for all unit operations and is successfully running CAR-T cell therapy processes with true walk-away, end-to-end automation.
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“The creation of the first IDMO marks the beginning of a new era, in which cell therapies will finally be able to reach those in need,” said Cellares, CEO, Fabian Gerlinghaus.
The Technology Adoption Partnership (TAP) program, owned by Cellares, allows for manual processes to be automated with tech transferred onto Cellares’ automated Cell Shuttle. Under the TAP program, participating cell therapy developers can tech-transfer their cell therapy processes onto a Cell Shuttle at any stage – during pre-clinical development, in the clinic, or after regulatory approval.
Gerlinghaus commented on the potential to improve consistency and lower manufacturing costs:
“We’ve developed integrated technologies for the entire drug development and manufacturing life cycle. Now we’re leveraging these technologies to offer global manufacturing services for the living drugs of the 21st century. Our partners are some of the best academics, biotechs, and large pharma companies in the world. We’re enabling them to meet total patient demand, improve consistency and quality, lower manufacturing costs, and accelerate expansion to new markets.”
The company is headquartered in South San Francisco, California with its commercial-scale IDMO Smart Factory in Bridgewater, New Jersey. The company is backed by world-class investors and has raised over $355 million in financing.
Source: Cellares Press Release
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