GE Healthcare will provide Xiangxue Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (XPH) with a FlexFactory for cell therapy, a semi-automated end-to-end manufacturing platform, to help scale up, digitize and accelerate manufacturing processes for their cell therapy clinical trials and future commercialization. This project marks the first-ever application of FlexFactory for cell immunotherapy drugs based on high-affinity and high-specificity T cell receptors (TCR). XPH aims to deliver a breakthrough for cancer treatment with a new-generation TCR T-cell therapy, and they have become one of the industry-leading companies to roll out related research for this application.
Cell therapy is recognized as one of the most promising models for comprehensive and precise cancer treatment. But the manufacturing process is complex and it is a challenge for companies to produce cell therapies at industrial scale. Thus, FlexFactory for cell therapy was developed to help companies achieve stable, safe and scalable manufacturing of cell therapy products. The platform helps shorten the commercialization cycle through accelerated translation from scientific research to clinical trials to industrial-scale production. GE Healthcare will also provide XPH with training services, process development, flexible cell processing equipment and digital connectivity solutions.
Yonghui Wang, Chairman of XPH, said: “As a new breakthrough in cancer treatment, the importance of cell immunotherapy has gained consensus by the global medical industry, offering great hope for humans to combat cancer. As we continue development in precision medicine, we look forward to long-term collaboration with GE Healthcare, using digital and semi-automated technologies as well as comprehensive analytical methods, to help us more efficiently produce treatments for patients.”
With a high concentration of healthcare companies and medical resources, Guangzhou is currently implementing the IAB Plan to advance development in information technology, AI, and biotechnology industries. GE Healthcare and XPH are committed to creating a world-leading cell therapy manufacturing platform in the Guangzhou Development Zone. Thus, this close strategic partnership helps establish a new world-leading bioindustry ecosystem in Guangzhou.
Qing Li, General Manager, GE Healthcare Life Sciences, Greater China, said: “FlexFactory will help XPH establish a standardized and large-scale manufacturing process for cell immunotherapy in line with requirements for future commercialization. We look forward to continuing to support the overall development and industrialization of China’s cell and gene therapy industry.”
The FlexFactory platform is expected to be operational in March 2019.