Cellex Opens New Plant to Manufacture Innovative Cell Therapy Products for Cancer

COLOGNE, Germany, Dec. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Cellex has opened a new Cell Manufacturing Plant in Cologne, Germany that will be the focal point for the production of innovative cell therapy products (e.g. CAR-T cells) as targeted treatments for different types of cancers and other diseases. The new facility has doubled the company's manufacturing capacity. Reasons for the expansion include the rising global demand and worldwide bottlenecks in production, as well as a considerable amount of promising research on new treatment approaches for various types of cancer. With this expansion, Cellex has laid the groundwork to provide comprehensive support to patients all over the world who are dependent on new therapies for the treatment of serious diseases. The facility offers more than 800 square meters of floor space and contains a clean room laboratory and other rooms for manufacturing and quality control.

At the new Cell Manufacturing Plant, advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) such as CAR-T cells are produced using state-of-the-art methods including magnetic selection, cell purification, cryopreservation and cell-based efficacy tests. Other services include long-term cryo-storage for ATMPs. Through international partnerships, Cellex is already operating at a global level and is expecting to see growth in worldwide demand for its products. In addition to specialized expertise in manufacturing cell therapy products, the company also operates collection centers for stem cell and bone marrow donations as well as a CellCommunity for the donation of cells to science and research all over the world. 

The Cellex Group was founded in 2001 with a primary focus on the collection of stem cells and bone marrow. Today, the Cellex Collection Center is the world's largest and most experienced collection center for allogeneic blood stem cell and bone marrow donations. Furthermore, Cellex has grown into an important full service provider for other companies in the production of innovative cellular therapy products (e.g. CAR-T cells). Since 2014, the company has been working on the development of its own innovative CAR-T cells and bispecific antibodies for the treatment of cancer in collaboration with its Dresden-based affiliate, GEMoaB.

During the opening ceremonies, Prof. Dr. Gerhard Ehninger, founder and owner of Cellex, pointed to the encouraging possibilities offered by CAR-T cell therapies being developed by Cellex. "Battling cancer with CAR-T cells specifically targeted against tumor cells is one of the most promising treatment approaches today. However, CAR-T cells developed so far harbor various risks, such as excessive cytokine release or the development of resistances. Therefore, we are now collaborating with our affiliate, GEMoaB, to develop new platforms that are easier to control such as bispecific antibodies or UniCAR cells, which are currently undergoing initial testing."

About Cellex

Cellex wants to help people suffering from serious diseases – through stem cell donations, but also through innovative treatment options. Cellex develops, tests and establishes new therapy approaches for people with cancer. These new cutting-edge medicines are manufactured by Cellex at the company's Cell Manufacturing Plant.

The Cellex Collection Center is the largest and most experienced collection center for allogeneic blood stem cells and bone marrow in the world. More than 55 percent of all stem cell donations in Germany are collected by Cellex. In addition to the manufacturing of cell therapy products, Cellex is involved in research for new cell products and collaborates with a large number of other companies.

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Media Contact

Julia Bose, Head of Marketing & Communications
Telephone: +49-221-4545-916
E-mail: j.bose@cellex.me